Reflection
by moonhaku
Summary: Sasuke’s a famous violin prodigy. Hinata’s a budding piano genius. When fate throws them into each other and turns their perfect lives upside down, how will they perceive the image staring right at them from the broken glass mirror? SasuHina
1. Perceive

_**Reflection**_

**Summary: **Sasuke's a famous prodigy. Hinata's a budding genius. When fate throws them into each other and turns their lives upside down, how will they perceive the image staring right at them from the broken mirror? **SasuHina**

* * *

**: Perceive :**

The melody wove through the large hall like the gentle spring air. His fingers flew wildly along the strings as he played out the concerto. Undoubtedly, it had been one of Mozart's greatest works, but that was only part of the reason it sounded like this. The audience of thousands was completely and utterly silent, some with their eyes closed, swaying to the soft music. His own eyes were closed and a serene smile was on his face even while the music started to take on a darker tone. Then, without warning—a break. He slammed the bow against the strings and his fingers were flying across the black neck of his instrument, moving at an incredible pace. Some in the audience were leaning forward unconsciously; looking for the exact moments his fingers would fumble on the intricate melody. But the music carried on perfectly—and ended fabulously with several deep chords that sounded like a fond farewell. Slowly, he opened his eyes to the bright, shining stage lights and relaxed his position. Carnegie Hall was filled with complete silence.

Loud, booming applause started from the back and moved forward as the crowd, filled with dignitaries and music critics alike, stood up one by one, giving him a standing ovation. He bowed in a genial fashion and walked off the stage silently before the next performance was announced.

In contrast with the silence of the hall, the backstage was bustling and filled with agents, managers and other performers. Most of them were young, under eighteen—it _was_ a special presentation by Young Prodigies in Piano & Strings Music at Carnegie Hall; New York City, New York, after all. He sat down in the rows of chairs near the entrance and started to put his precious instrument into the case. A crumpled program sheet was tucked in the case. The name 'Sasuke Uchiha' was boxed in with pink marker. His name. _Probably her_, he sighed as he loosened his bow.

'Her' would refer to Sakura Haruno. She was some girl that followed him all the way from Japan. Apparently, her father had some _very_ important business in New York City on the same day YPPSM put on its show. She took that chance to tag along after her current crush—that would be, Sasuke Uchiha. _I'm only fifteen, for Pete's sake_, he thought angrily, unconsciously slamming the top of his violin case down, _I don't need stalkers._

He set the violin case onto the carpeted ground, under his chair and threw the program into a nearby wastebasket. Outside, he heard the clapping of the audience and smiled wistfully; someone else must've performed amazingly again. Probably a girl; since the line-up was in that order. A few minutes later, true to his speculation, a petite girl walked into the room, smiling nervously. Her legs were slightly trembling and her cheeks were flushed. She was rubbing her fingers anxiously as she sat down a few seat from him. White eyes peeked out of the long violet bangs in her face. _A pianist_, Sasuke thought as he looked at her, _she's new too. I've always wondered why people decide to play those painted hunks of wood. _

"That was awesome!" A tan, blond guy strode in the room. Sasuke scowled as he shouted unashamed, and walked up to the girl sitting in the chair. He held out his hands and grinned crookedly, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, who're you?"

"U-um, I'm Hinata Hyuuga," she peered up at his smiling face from her seat and mumbled, "Pleased to meet you."

"Right back at you," he plopped down in the chair right next to her, "I was down there listening, and you were amazing! I—How old are you?"

"Fourteen." She smiled softly at him.

"Wow. Really? I couldn't really tell since you were so good," he looked around the room at the musicians getting ready to perform, "I guess everyone here is pretty awesome, but you were just something else!"

"A-arigatou," she looked down and blushed at his praise. Her fingers were at it again; fumbling with each other and her black dress.

"'welcome. I'm going in a bit; so I'm pretty nervous." He laughed apprehensively, as if trying to lighten the mood, "These acts are going to be pretty hard to follow. 'Specially yours."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," her words were slightly encouraging though her legs were still trembling. "What do you play?"

"Cello. See? It's all the way over there, in the corner." He pointed to the far left where a dark cello case was stationed. While he was talking, another person came in and yelled his name. Naruto turned toward the girl and said, "Well, wish me luck. I'm next; better started warming up."

"Okay. Bye," she waved gently as he walked over to get his cello out of his case. Sasuke closed his eyes and massaged his temples with his right hand. Naruto Uzumaki had come in the spring, naturally talented, but without that sophisticated air that Sasuke had grown so accustomed to. He was loud, rowdy and was convinced about the existence of brain-sucking aliens. He had even dragged Sasuke to go see an alien-abduction movie once. That just ended in popcorn throwing and a near fistfight. Sasuke remembered it well, though not fondly. He rubbed his head. Screaming and angry cursing erupted from the back of the room. It made his headache worsen.

He opened his eyes and looked toward the location of the shrieking. Three security guards were tugging a pink-haired girl away, dragging her away from the open back door. She was clawing, kicking and punching blindly as they took her. Sasuke sighed again, his headache intensifying, she tried to sneak in. _Again._

"Do you know her?" A quiet voice interrupted his thought. He looked at his right and found the girl from before—Hinata, was it? She was flicked her head toward the screaming pink-haired teenager with a question in her eyes.

"Yeah." He leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes, willing his head to stop hurting.

"Aren't you going to help her?" She was staring at him again, her soft eyes unknowingly accusing him of the invisible crime.

"Why bother?" Now he was annoyed. He opened his dark eyes and glared at her. Who was she to poke and prod at his personal problems? Why did she care anyway?

"I-I…", her voice faltered a bit and she looked away, at the ground, "I just supposed that she was your girlfriend. She was always with you. Everywhere"

"Who the hell told you that?" His voice was deadly quiet now, the poison in his mind ready to strike, "Actually, why are you even asking me in the first place? I. Have. Nothing. To. Do. With. Her."

"Ah…", she put pale fingers to her lips, "If that's your answer." Then no more words or questions came out of her mouth. She sat there, looking pensively at her lap. Sasuke closed his eyes again and tried to relax in his chair. _Annoying girl,_ he snarled in his mind, _what the fuck was her problem anyway? So interested in my life and all that crap. No one else ever cared. Except for that Haruno girl—I seriously have to get rid of her. She's going to give me hell if she ever finds me._

* * *

A rough and hard shake woke Sasuke out of his sleep.

"Hey, man, wake up! We're leaving." Sasuke swiped the hand from his shoulder and tried to conceal his yawn. Without opening his eyes, he fumbled around for his violin case and slung it on his shoulder. He rubbed his eyes a few times and stretched. Sleeping in a chair was uncomfortable, he decided. He was sore all over—and it had only been about four hours. Naruto, who probably woke him up, jabbed his index finger out to the cool night air and left. Sasuke followed him onto the coach bus waiting for them, Everyone except Naruto and himself were already waiting on the bus. He walked up the steps, sat down next the window seat and promptly fell into another dreamless sleep.

The jolt of the bus stopping in front of the Marriott Inn woke him and he grabbed for the violin case in the compartment above his seat. Despite how late it was, the Marriott was brightly lit and the lobby was full of people. Sasuke walked in silently with the rest of the musicians, and received his room keys from a bunch of apathetic-looking receptionists. The insane giggling of teenage girls were in his ears and his headache was coming back. At least he wasn't sleepy anymore.

Hinata was right beside him as he walked down the red-carpeted hallway to his room. She walked silently, her tote bag swinging in her hands as she strode. He stole a look her a few times, surprised at the emotionless and listless look on her face. Her long indigo hair was spread on her back though a few strands were messy around her face. He stopped in front of room forty-five and reached for his door keys. She stopped right next to him. Sasuke was about to snap at her again until he saw her reach for her keys too. _We're neighbors_, he thought sarcastically, _wonderful._

The reader at the door flashed and Sasuke tucked away the card key. He opened the door. The room was a regular one-bedroom suite with a bathroom. There were a few armchairs set up around a coffee table near the huge window. Another table had a computer and a keyboard resting on it. He hoped it had Internet access.

After looking around the room and putting his violin case beside his bed, he found that all of his belongings had been previously placed in the drawers beside the bed. They were dry-cleaned and ironed to stiff perfection, he noted as he closed the drawer. He heard the doorknob clicking open in the room next to him and soft steps going down the hallways.

_Freak, _he thought to himself as he brushed his teeth in the bathroom, _Who goes out in the middle of the night? _He caught the reflection looking at him in the mirror. Black eyes. Smooth white skin. Perfection. Those same eyes turned angry and downcast and he slammed a fist into the mirror, making a small crack in it. He turned his eyes downward, avoiding the mirror. _Who wants to look at the face of a murderer?_

After a quick cold shower, Sasuke fell onto his bed, though he wasn't a bit tired. It was already past midnight, and he hadn't heard that girl go back to her room yet. For some reason, it kept him awake. He was intrigued about where she went, not like he would admit it to himself. _I just slept too much in the afternoon, _he reasoned, _I don't give a shit where that weirdo went. I don't. _

He focused on the cracks forming on the ceiling above him. A minute later, they started to connect and form into something. His vision blurred as his eyelids fluttered. Blinking rapidly, he realized that the cracks were still where they were a minute ago. _I must be going crazy_, he thought as he tried to refocus on whatever he had been thinking about before. Without warning, his eyelids closed again.

"Jet lag…", he muttered to himself before covering himself with the white blanket and falling asleep.

* * *

Sasuke held back a yawn as he entered the hotel's cafeteria. He didn't sleep well at all last night, apparently, that girl—Hinata, was it, came back a few hours after he fell asleep. For the whole night, all he could hear was quiet scratching. It sounded like a sharp pen on paper. It was annoying. That had kept him awake the whole night—wondering what the hell she was writing. He spread some cheap type of butter onto his bagel and bit into it as he headed for the lobby. _She's still not here yet, _he looked around the crowd as he leafed through a brochure, _and it's almost time to leave for the tour. Hmmm._

"U-um, excuse me?" He felt a shy tap on his shoulder. A girl with short brown hair and framed glasses stared at him. Her mouth turned into an 'O' of surprise when he regarded her with a scowl. She immediately produced a pen and paper from her shoulder bag and squealed, "I _can't_ believe that it's actually you! Can you sign that paper for me, write 'to Susan Brown, love Sasuke Uchiha', 'kay? To think! I was actually lucky enough to meet _Sasuke Uchiha_ here! I'll never forget it for the _rest_ of my life!"

The conversation around him stopped when everyone in earshot heard his name being squealed out by that insolent girl. He looked at the girl and said, "I think you have me mistaken for someone else. I'm not Sasuke Uchiha. I'm sorry."

"Really?" She put a finger to her chin, "You look exactly alike…well, that's alright! You're still a hottie! Wait till I tell my friend I met a Sasuke Uchiha lookalike!"

The talking around him resumed, though at a more reserved tone. He could hear a few snippets and whispers of their various conversations. _Couldn't they just learn to mind their own damn business? _He glared at everyone around him.

"…Sasuke Uchiha? That famous violinist…"

"I heard that he started playing at two years old…famous prodigy…"

"…played solo with the NY Philharmonic at age five…"

"Wasn't his father CEO of some big business empire?…heard that it all went down…"

"…hey…isn't Itachi Uchiha his brother? That guy who killed—"

"_Excuse me?_" Sasuke turned around and glared at the elderly couple gossiping away behind him, the venom clear in his cold voice. "_What did you say about Itachi Uchiha?"_

They stared back in surprise; obviously they had no idea he had been within hearing distance. The elderly lady was the first to sputter, "Well, I-I never! The nerve of young people these days! Eavesdropping and such foolishness! Come on, let's go, dear." She put an arm around her husband and walked back toward the reception counter. Sasuke watched them go. They weren't the only ones around here that were talking about him—that, he knew. _Who's to blame for making me so freaking famous? _His brain uselessly informed him with just a hint of underlying sarcasm, _You did, baka._

He crumpled up the brochure and threw it at the trash can a few feet away. It bounced off the rim and landed on the red carpet. He shrugged and was about to grab a muffin from the cafeteria when a soft hand tapped him on the shoulder. _It better not be some brainless American again, _ he thought before he turned.

"It's not very nice to litter, Uchiha-san," a quiet voice informed him in crisp Japanese.

"We're in America, speak English," he narrowed his eyes.

"All right, either way, you shouldn't litter. " She switched to flawless English. His eyes narrowed more. Just _who_ was Hinata Hyuuga anyway? No normal fourteen year-old could speak English so perfectly and business-like.

"Why do I care? It's just a piece of paper, someone will pick it up," he waved his hand in a dismissive manner, "We'll be leaving soon, so you should get some breakfast before we go."

"I already ate." She bent down and picked up the brochure, putting it into the garbage can. "Thanks for the reminder."

"'Welcome," he turned away and walked to the cafeteria. Now his appetite for food was completely ruined. His brain was whirring excitedly as he sat down and ordered black coffee, he was more curious about her than ever. White-eyes, intriguing indigo-black hair, flawless English and such an…interesting personality. _Who was Hinata Hyuuga?_

* * *

Für Elise started to play from the iPhone in his pocket. The alarm had been set for nine-thirty, the time the tour started. He gulped down some of the coffee and left for the lobby. There was a group in front of the entrance. Only one solitary person was talking excitedly while the rest were murmuring in the background. As always, the one talking loudly was Naruto, with his huge cheerful grin. His smile grew even bigger when Sasuke joined then.

"Hey, you were sleeping a lot yesterday, you alright?" He put an arm around Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke shrugged it off nonchalantly.

"Hn." He refused to talk to the idiot. What was there to be so happy about? It wasn't _his_ business that he was overly tired yesterday.

"I hope there's good ramen here, though! I haven't seen any ramen stands…", Naruto continued as he made a show of looking around for one. _There aren't any ramen stands in New York…idiot, _Sasuke crossed his arms and stared at Naruto's ecstatic face. Suddenly, the blond's focus was turned on someone else. He waved his arms in the air frantically.

"Hey, Hinata! We're over here!" Sasuke shifted his eyes toward the direction Naruto was shouting at. It _was_ her. After nodding once to acknowledge Naruto's greeting, she waved and jogged away in the other direction. "Hmmm.." Naruto scowled, "I guess she won't be coming with us. Bummer."

_Where is she going? Probably to sleep, since she didn't seem to get any last night, _Sasuke was still looking at the direction Hinata had left when the tour guides arrived and started to hand out detailed maps to everyone. Sasuke took it, shoved it into his pocket and took out his iPhone. That would be all he needed to get around.

"Now, we would like everyone to pair up in groups of two. You will be doing a scavenger hunt to find all the places listed on this piece of paper. There will be prizes for whoever comes back first. The deadline is three o'clock sharp. You kids like this sort of stuff, right?" She handed out the list uncertainly. Sasuke raised his eyebrow as her critically, he would hardly call this group 'kids'. Maybe on the outside they were, but they were all raised as musical prodigies and sent to YPPSM since they were six. They were hardly normal kids who enjoyed things like a scavenger hunt.

A girl with two brown buns on her head crossed her arms and stared at the female tour guide. "I hope you realize that we are not just normal kids. This was supposed to be a _tour_, not some trivial scavenger hunt. It's a waste of time."

"It's fine, TenTen," a boy who looked to be a year older than Sasuke said, "They are trying their best. It will be quite amusing to see which pair finds all these things first, though I wager the prize will be insufficient. Correct?" He turned to look at the two tour guides with his white eyes. _The same eyes as Hinata…_Sasuke wondered who he was. He felt a thick folded paper smack his head.

"Hey! Let's go, Sasuke! I bet we can totally win this!"

"Why would I want to go with _you_, baka?"

"Well, everyone else is paired up…", Naruto inclined his head toward the leaving pairs. Sasuke closed his eyes and flipped his hair out of his eyes coolly and replied, "In that case, I won't be going. Find them by yourself…idiot. I'm going back to my room."

"Eh? Hey! How am I supposed to go by myself!" Naruto yelled after him.

"Figure it out," Sasuke said as he turned the corner. _Hmmm, the next logical step would be to find her, _he stopped outside his door, _and I wonder where she went. She does seem to disappear a lot._ _Hinata Hyuuga…I've heard that name somewhere…I can't remember where, though. _In his room, while he was reclining on the armchair, he typed to words onto the iPhone and waited while the results on Google popped up.

There were millions of them, but several of the results on the front page caught his eye. There were also quite a few images of a five-year old (who looked remarkably like Hinata) standing with important business leaders and dignitaries. The title of another result said, "Collapse of Hyuuga Corps Lead to Suicide", while another said, "Thirteen-Year Old Daughter to Inherit Billions?" There was nothing about any musical accomplishments whatsoever. Sasuke's frown deepened. Could it be possible that she had been previously undiscovered? _I have to test her talent, _he thought suddenly, _There was a piece that I wanted to try, but I couldn't find anyone to play the accompaniment. Maybe she'll want to do it…_

_But if she had that kind of talent at such a young age, why was there nothing relating to music in any of the articles? Would her family hide it? Why? _He looked out over the bustling NYC area far below him as he thought. _Wait…if she was the sole heir of the Hyuuga Corps—of course they wouldn't let her do this kind of thing. Only because I was the second son…_

Images of his older brother flashed in front of his eyes.

_No! I can't think of him now…no…,_he closed his eyes and threw the thin iPhone on the bed. _Why is he always, always occupying my mind? I just want to forget it…_He clutched his head with his eyes closed tightly and moaned. It was all coming back to him, washing over him again. The wall that he'd carefully cemented around his memories—it was being torn down. He could see it in his mind.

Screams. Blood. Father—_dead_. Mother—_dead._ Itachi—_murderer_.

Killer.

The image of his brother's chilling face flashed before him, a face so like his own. The same eyes, same skin, same features—identical.

"No—", he gasped out, "I'm different," _Really? _"I'm not like—like _him_, " _The very same _"He killed my family, he ruined my life!" _Identical_. "I hate, loathe—despise him! He's a cold blooded murderer, someone not worthy of living—," _Your only brother. _

_My brother…, _Sasuke opened his eyes, his vision already blurring, _my freaking, goddamned brother. My blood. My last remaining family…_

Someone knocked on his door. He didn't move from his chair to answer it. Whoever knocked persisted for a good while before Sasuke heard a sigh, and soft padded footsteps going down the hall. It was probably some maid, he thought, nothing to do with him. Fü­­­­­­­r Elise started to play from the phone thrown on the unmade bed. Someone was calling him. He stared at the phone for a minute and then picked it up. It wasn't any number that was stored on his phone; someone he didn't know was calling him. _Could it really be that important? _He thought as the ringtone played on. _Usually it' just the supervisor or manager wanting to schedule a private performance or something similar. Hmmm…_

He put the phone on speaker and said, "Sasuke Uchiha speaking."

"It's me, Sasu-kun!"

"Excuse me, who is talking?"

"Meee, Sakura Haruno, 'member? Your number one loyal fan? Your current _girlfriend?_"

"I'm sorry, you must have the wrong number, Haruno-san."

"Oh! It's so romantic how you're pretending not to know me—anyway, I heard that you weren't going on the tour, so how about some lunch later?"

"I—"

"Great!" She interrupted mid-sentence."Sooo, I'll see you at one o'clock at that fancy Italian place on Main Street, near Times Square. Bye, love you too!"

She hung up on him without another word. _Annoying bitch, _he looked at the cell phone, wondering if he should apply for a different number. Now that someone had given her his number, she could harass him any time she wanted to. Was there even a way to block a certain phone number? He couldn't think of any way to. _Of course, _he looked down at the streets of NYC below him, _I'm not going. I never agreed to go in the first place. I'm a bit impressed actually, that idiotic fangirl deluded herself to the point that she thought we actually had something—in the romantic sense, no less. Stupid. _

He flung the glass pane open and stuck his head out. _Hm, no extra net to keep flies out, _he thought pensively as he breathed in deeply. Then he saw people on the ground staring up at him. They probably thought he was a psycho for sticking his head out like that. Indeed, he could see a little five-year-old point to him and yell something to her father right next to her. _Can't I just get some peace and quiet around here? _He closed the window and sat down in the chair, getting slightly annoyed.

_Knock._

Sasuke looked up. There was the knocking _again_, it had to be some useless maid. "No wonder American hotels are so unpopular, "he grumbled to himself, "Even their cleaning maids are annoying."

_Knock. Knock. Knock—_

He swung the door open with his eyes already set into a fearsome glare, he swore, if this was a maid, then he would scare her _shitless_ for annoying him. Instead, he found himself glaring down at the composed face of one Hinata Hyuuga. _What the fuck? _

"_What_ are you doing here?"

"U-uh, I heard you weren't going on the tour, so…" she looked down at her feet.

"So? _You came to check up on me?_" Anger flared in him at the thought. Just because she was his neighbor _did not_ entitle her to become his nanny.

"…can I come in?"

* * *

**Author's Note: **This is merely a preview. Please read the other preview for Finding the Newest Shadow and then vote on my poll! I will delete the losing previews and continue on with the other one. Your reviews and comments would also be appreciated!

-moonhaku

* * *


	2. Confusion

_**Reflection**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

**: Confusion :**

He stared at her, speechless. After a moment, he moved out of the way and let her in. She followed in silently, walking gingerly, with her shoulders slightly hunched up. Sasuke stuck his head out the door and looked quickly for anyone that could've seen her. No one.

"Hn." After shutting the door, he sat down on the edge of the bed. She was still standing in the middle of the room.

"Well, aren't you going to sit down?" He drawled bluntly.

"Oh—hai…" A faint blush colored her cheeks before she sat down on one of the cushioned armchairs by the huge windows. She looked out the window, biting her fingernails as her feet rocked back and forth. A perfect picture of nervousness.

"Why did you come?" A demand.

"I heard you weren't going on the tour—" She began.

He waved his hand dismissively.

"We've been through that. But why did you come? Shouldn't you be sleeping in or something?"

"Why should I be sleeping in?"

No way was he going to admit that he listened to her all night.

"Jet lag." A perfect reason. That was why he had slept so much the day before. Once again, he was satisfied with his own quick wit.

"I..I travel frequently, so I'm perfectly fine with small amounts of sleep."

"Ah." He replied sagely, not finding any other suitable answer.

Both of them were silent again. The ear-deafening roar of an airplane passed by overhead and someone down the hall dropped something on their toe. Sasuke heard drops of water dripping from the bathroom sink's faucet.

This could be the reason silent people don't work well together. But then, out of the blue—

"Who are you?"

"What?" He wanted to shout at her. Out of all the questions she could ask, it was _this_?

"_Who_ are you?"

"I got that the first time around," he muttered underneath his breath. Kami, she was damn annoying. But somehow…he didn't seem to mind. "You know who I am, Sasuke Uchiha."

"I've heard rumors."

"To each his own."

"Are they true?" Her shy, inquisitive stare provoked a sharp glare in her direction.

"Depends on which ones you're referring to."

"Ah." Her reply mirrored his earlier one. Perfectly.

"So…" he shifted his position slightly toward her, "who are you?" Two could play at this game.

"Hinata Hyuuga." She seemed to flinch away from an invisible presence beside her. In a whisper, she added, "An artist."

"Hai, I suppose that's what we all are." He smirked. "Nice way to sum it all up. Hn. Artist."

"Perhaps we make our masterpieces with music notes instead of colors."

"Perhaps." He thought for a moment, "Then a composer would be simply an empty canvas that we can paint our own masterpieces on."

"True." Her eyes were thoughtful as she stared out the window. "Then a composer who paints their own pieces would be…a true genius. Phenomenon, almost"

"Only if he does it well." Sasuke found it just a bit disconcerting how she didn't seem attracted to him like other girls were. Just a little bit.

"He?"

"Is there a problem?" Sasuke filed through the short snippets of a conversation they had. He didn't make a mistake. Right?

"He."

"Why not?"

"Hm," her eyes had a faraway look to them. His upper lip twitched from irritation.

"Look at me when you speak." Annoyance seeped into his words. It only amplified when she glanced slightly in his direction. Albeit the faint blush on her cheeks, she seemed completely unaware.

"Gomen…I was thinking.."

"Nice time to do that." He reverted into the physical incarnation of sarcasm immediately.

"There _has _never been a prominent female composer…" she sounded surprised at her own quiet conclusion. Then she turned and smiled timidly. "Gomen, I...I sound boring, don't I?"

"Good enough." Heck, he didn't care for useless babble anyway. At least she sounded up to his level, with an air of sophistication around her; unlike that Haruno stalker. In fact, he mused, this Hinata Hyuuga wasn't dull at all. Not overly friendly, but not antisocial. Just interesting. Intriguing, almost. "You still haven't told me why you're here."

"Oh." She stared at her fingers intensely. Sasuke waited, looking at her out of the corner of his eyes as she sighed and looked out the window again. This cycle repeated itself continuously, and Sasuke felt the impatience rising in him. Just when he decided that she had gone mute, she suddenly spoke up in a tiny whisper.

"Th-there was, um, something that I w-wanted to ask." Sasuke's ears strained to hear what she was saying. "I—I have this piano and violin piece and I was wondering…"

"If I could play a duet with you?"

"Oh," she seemed relieved to finally get it out, "Hai. My thought exactly."

"Do you have it with you?"

"Hai," she reached into the pocket of her thin white jacket and pulled out a thick sheaf of folded paper. "W-would you like to look at it?"

"Hn." He took it from her hand and unfolded it. The complexity of the melody and accompaniment startled him, making him wonder what it would sound like. Try as he might, he could only conjure a cacophony of notes resounding in his mind. Either it was too complicated for his brain to process immediately—or it was just a complete mess.

"Who wrote this?" He gestured to the hurried pen marks on the standard printed sheet music.

"I—It's a work of a friend…" She seemed to change her mind when she saw the slight disapproval in his eyes while he flipped over the pages of the music.

"I would like to meet that friend," his eyes narrowed at her obvious failure of covering up who was the true composer. But if she was so uncomfortable, then so be it. He glanced over the pages and let out a low whistle. This piece seemed difficult, and although he couldn't completely grasp the melody in his mind, he was sure that it would sound wonderful.

He handed it back to the silent woman.

"What is this piece called?"

"Reflection." She whispered. It was a short title, nondescript and not too memorable.

He nodded, "Would you like me to practice it now?"

"C-can you?" The surprised look on her face triggered an automatic smirk on his pale features. This girl was so mysterious, but so naïve; an odd combination.

He bent down and retrieved the violin case from under his bed. His fingers tingled with anticipation as he brushed over the velvet covering after unzipping the case. After vigorously applying extra rosin and polishing the slightly dusty surface of his violin and adjusting the bow to just the right tension, he carefully set it onto his rumpled bed. Then he took out the music stand folded under his bed and put it together. It was not something he used often—just for times when he felt particularly inspired to play a piece. Like now.

He was just about to ask for the sheets of music when he saw that the girl had already placed it on it. He swallowed his words and picked up his violin from behind him. After testing the strings and making a few adjustments to the tone, he swept his dark eyes along the twisting melody and began. As soon as his bow hit the strings, a dark and haunting prelude began revealing itself in the room.

His fingers seemed to be flowing like water, only hesitating slightly at the more intricate parts and hardly stumbling. The music went on uninterrupted, filling the whole space with its keening wail. Then it started to take on a lighter tone, transitioning from darkness to light, and changing key and time signatures at an almost horrifying rate. For a while, the melody became simpler, falling from Sasuke's fingertips like warm drops of water after a sun-shower. He was so wrapped up into the music, that he was barely aware of Hinata's swift fingers flipping the pages as soon as he finished one page after another. Then the light tone all but disappeared, replaced by sadness, but a different darkness than before. The darkness of losing what once was, making the notes conjugate in something unbearably empty…yet sweet. The ending measures went up and down several octaves; the calm after the rage of a storm of emotion.

Sasuke held his bow on the violin for a moment after he finished and then put it down. He peeked down at the woman standing beside her. Her eyes were still closed, and a tear was glinting at the edge of one of them. Sasuke was about to snap irritably that if she didn't like it, she didn't have to be so emotional about it. He knew it wasn't the best sight-reading he ever played, but that was partially because of the difficulty of this piece she offered.

"That…" she opened her eyes and looked up at Sasuke, "That was so beautiful, Sasuke-san. "

An odd thrill went through Sasuke when she said his name. All the irritation left his mind as he stared at her gentle expression. Suddenly this Hinata Hyuuga didn't seem as 'damn annoying' as before. Actually, she could be more correctly classified at 'damn cute'. He mentally slapped himself for the thought. He was _Sasuke Uchiha_. Sasuke Uchiha doesn't hit on girls he hardly knows. In fact, Sasuke Uchiha doesn't hit on girls. Simple as that.

Since he couldn't think of a reply—shocked speechless as he was—he turned and began packing up his violin. His fingers brushed wistfully along the elegant wooden neck of his treasure and plucked the chromium steel strings lightly, listening to the deep twang that rumbled through it. If only he could play that song again. And—as much as he didn't want to admit it—see that admiring look in Hinata's eye again. Pushing all that sort of thought out of his head, he swiftly dissembled the stand and shoved it underneath his bed beside his violin case.

"I should be going now…" Hinata offered reluctantly, making it seem like a question. She was holding the music sheets in one hand while the other was leaning on the window-side again. Sasuke nodded numbly, agreeing silently with her. He walked to the door and she followed. When she reached for the door, his fingers brushed softly with hers; sending a spark piercing through both of them. They both jerked their hands away, as if stung. Sasuke finally reached for the doorknob again and let Hinata out. They walked carefully, avoiding any contact so that spark wouldn't grow.

Sasuke watched her gently swaying back as she hurried down the hallway. She looked back suddenly, meeting Sasuke's eyes in an instant. Her cheeks flushed and she murmured something and walked away quickly. Sasuke ducked his head inside and closed the door. Swearing under his breath, he only just began to realize what a mistake it was to let Hinata Hyuuga in that door.

He crossed over to his bed in a few quick steps, feeling extremely confused with what just happened. Somewhere in a corner of his mind, he knew the answer…but it wasn't something that he was ready to deal with any time soon. Putting his head in his hands, he shut his eyes and all but curled up into a ball. The few words they had exchanged, the different emotions and the soft features on her face…they flooded into his mind, providing him no haven to hide.

He looked at the bright face of his iPhone. It was already one-thirty; just how_ long_ had she stayed? His stomach growled from the absence of food and he was reminded of Sakura's annoying 'date' at the 'fancy Italian place'. Perhaps going was not such a bad idea—he need the distractions that only the pink-haired fanatic could provide; anything to get mind off of Hinata.

* * *

"And then we totally screamed, and then, we were like, 'Oh my fucking gosh, that was so fucking scary'! So then this dude with some crew cut was like, 'Maaan, that was hot'. And then Ino was acting all, like, coy and like, sly. I think she wanted to like, sleep with him or something, so like, she tiptoed her fingers like this up his chest and was like, 'I can show you what's _hot_if you follow me'. And then…"

Sasuke poked at his ravioli with a dinner fork as Sakura rambled on and on about the many sexual exploits of her busty blonde friend. She didn't mind that he showed up almost an hour late—in fact, she called it being 'fashionably late' or something crappy like that. He studied her rambling mouth as she ate and talked at the same time. The dusky lipstick was overdoing things and the mascara on her eyelashes made everything clump together in a crusty and dirty way. Her teeth were gleaming white, partially speckled with the remnants of the tiny spaghetti and tomato sauce meal she just consumed.

Her bright green eyes sparkled as she recounted another extremely graphic experience at a beach resort. This girl was hornier than _he_ was. And _he_ was a fifteen-year-old male, thank you very much. He stuffed another piece of warm ravioli into his mouth, almost choking when Sakura's glossy fingernails brushed over his bare arm seductively. Every part of his body screamed in horror as her fingers continued to run up to his chin. He brushed her hand off angrily and leaned back; away from her face. Going on this 'date' was a total mistake on his part.

He wiped his mouth with a napkin and called for the waiter. He _had_ to get out of Sakura's reach before she tried to force herself on him like so many times before on their supposed 'dates'. After slapping the cash onto the rectangular plastic plate in the waiter's hands, Sasuke almost ran out of the restaurant.

"Wait for me, Sasuke-kun!" She practically sang the words as he tried to escape. She locked onto his arms tightly, forcing him to slow down and glare threateningly at the misty-eyed people in the restaurant.

"Get the hell off me." He muttered under his breath as her smiling face. She either didn't hear or she ignored it. The brush of her hands—they were nothing like Hinata's. Sakura's were plump and soft, but Hinata's were more gentle with hidden strength in them. Hinata's blank eyes had that haunted look in it—something that Sasuke could see in his own. The only thing he saw in Sakura's bright green eyes was a carefree happiness that made bile rise up to his mouth. He hated it. How could anyone like Sakura possibly understand what he's been through these past years? It didn't matter if she tried—it would never happen.

Hinata could definitely relate. Sasuke was broken out of his daze by Sakura's shrill laughter. There he went again, thinking about that dark-haired pianist and even comparing her to Sakura. What the _hell_ was happening to him? Sasuke tried to shake off the pink-haired female unsuccessfully; she seemed to be trying to become the ultimate human duct tape. He walked along the road, trying not to ogle at the occasional odd American that he passed. At least nobody stared at the leech on his right arm, although a few girls and women were staring blissfully at him as he walked by. Sakura was distracted from her rambling to send out a few death glares at the other female competitors. Sasuke thought dryly that he'd been reduced to nothing but a possession that woman could flaunt and fight over.

"Hey, Sasu-kun?" He flinched at her intentionally husky voice. "Where else do you want to go?"

Her free hand traveled up his waist suggestively. He tore himself from her grasp before she could do anything else. She was still wearing the sultry smile on her lips. Sasuke's right hand trembled when the thought of slapping her came to mind; it would be so wrong, but it would be so damn _satisfying. _

"Hey, why don't we go there, Hinata? I bet that they have ramen!" A certain idiotic blonde's voice rang out from the humdrum of the crowd. Sasuke's ears perked up at the name. _Hinata. _She was with Uzumaki? _What_ was wrong with that picture now?

"Sasu-kun? Sasu-kun? Helloo?" Her honeyed voice seemed to come from right by his ear—she was breathing right down his neck. _How the hell did she get there so quickly?!_ Sasuke flinched away from her.

"I have to go now, go back to your hotel." He deliberately put a hard edge in his voice.

"But, but—" She pouted in an overexaggerated way. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her attempt to gain sympathy from him.

"Look. First, I am _not_ your boyfriend. Second, I _do not_ like you in _any _way. And third," he held up a third finger, "_I will not sleep with you._ I'm only _fifteen_ for pete's sake! Understood?"

She stared at him, the color draining out of her face. Sasuke thought that a tear teetered on the edge of her eyes. She moved her head in an up and down motion, her expression still dumbstruck. He made a satisfied grunt and then turned around to face the crowd. Hopefully Haruno would learn to stay away from him—hopefully she would hop on a plane the next day and get the heck out of America. He weaved through the crowd, making a beeline for the Japanese restaurant a block away.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hm, I sense a little semblance of a 'love square' happening! NarutoXHinata, HinataXSasuke (and vice versa), SakuraXSasuke. This is going to be fuuun. Thank you for those who voted on the poll and reviewed! You can see the results on my profile. **ALERT:** I need a beta-reader for this story, so those who feel up to it, please write a full review of this chapter/story and I'll get back to you! (PMs are fine too.)

You know the drill, review!

moonhaku

* * *


	3. Disillusionment

_**Reflection**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

**: Disillusionment :**

Sasuke pushed open the transparent glass doors with one hand, crossing the length of the tiny restaurant in five strides. Most of the diners were Asian; he could hear the miscellaneous squabble of different languages in the restaurant. The tables were pushed together in frightening proximity, leaving only the bare minimum of space for the passing waiter or waitress. Chopsticks and china spoons clattered on each table while hot pots simmered on select ones. This place was fairly crowded, and from the looks of it; they _definitely _offered ramen. In fact, more than twenty flavors and combinations. Naruto was thrilled beyond imagination.

He quickly located the blonde and he made a beeline for the table that they occupied. There was no way that he could even think about hiding in a grubby and down-to-earth place like this. He picked out Naruto's rowdy voice from the crowd, rambling on in Japanese about some place called Ichiraku.

"Hello." Sasuke murmured as he slid smoothly in the cushioned seat facing the pair. Hinata merely look surprised while joy lit up Naruto's bright cerulean eyes. His face spread in a wide grin, showing a set of slightly canine teeth.

"Sasuke! What're you doing here?"

"Mind your own damn business, Uzumaki." He wasn't about to tell the blonde dobe about Sakura groping him in the middle of the street. "Keep prying and it'll get you killed one day."

"Oooh, getting a bit touchy, huh, Sasuke?" His grin was as bright as ever. It got even larger when the waitress set down a huge bowl of miso ramen. He cracked the wooden chopsticks and shouted, "Itadakimasu!"

Sasuke couldn't help but gawk at how Naruto ate—no, _inhaled_—his ramen at inconceivable speed. Of course, he let no disdain show on his face, letting only minor disgust peek through. Within minutes, Naruto was finished with his extra-large helping—and calling for more. Sasuke had always known that Naruto's eating habits were extreme—but Hinata, who was sitting right beside him, had barely finished half a bowl of rice with fishhead soup.

"Don't you want anything, Sasuke-san?" Hinata looked at him curiously.

"Che." He grumbled. Watching Naruto eat dispelled any remnants of his appetite although he had managed to gulp down pitifully little while in the Italian restaurant. Sasuke decided to keep his eyes off Naruto; it made him sick to just watch the ramen disappear. Besides, he hated ramen.

"That was _so _good! Almost as good as Ichiraku's!" This exclamation caught the attention of the manager of the restaurant. Turned out that he was the brother of 'old man' Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku back in Japan. Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes while Naruto engaged in an animated conversation about ramen with the owner; completely ignoring Hinata, of course. She was picking at the last of her rice, finally setting down the red-flowered chopsticks onto the china plate.

"You're not going to finish?" It seemed strange to Sasuke; he got the impression that she didn't eat much breakfast—and still, it was pretty late into the afternoon.

"I'm not hungry…" was her whispered reply. Her head dropped and her eyelids fluttered for a second, making clear her overwhelming fatigue.

"You should go back to the hotel."

"Probably," she mumbled, taking a glance at the animated man right beside her. Sasuke huffed impatiently; the ramen-centered conversation didn't seem to be going anywhere or ending anytime soon.

"C'mon, I'll take you." He offered her a hand. She looked at Naruto hesitantly again, and stretched out a hand, as if wanting to alert him of her presence but withdrew it again. Sasuke stood automatically, expecting her to follow him obediently through the maze of tables. She did—after another brief moment of hesitation. Sasuke looked back at Naruto, wondering if he should say anything.

"Oi, Uzumaki! We're leaving." He put up a hand behind him in a semblance of a wave and pushed open the glass door with the other, holding it slightly for Hinata. Naruto acknowledged it with a smile and then dove right back into the new bowl of miso ramen that the manager offered for free.

"Fucking idiot," Sasuke muttered under his breath. He felt no pang of consciousness until he noticed the disapproving look Hinata was giving him. He shrugged in response, slightly mollified that he let her get under his skin so easily. What the hell was happening to him?

* * *

He really should be going soon.

Sasuke stared at the sleeping girl on the wide queen-sized bed. His lip twitched a bit while taking in the sleeping form of the girl before him. He should _really_ be going. The fading light coming from the window was the only indication of time in Hinata's suite. It also indicated that it was quite late. How long had he been there, staring at her? Hours, to be sure.

Being fifteen usually had a familiar impact on most people; especially boys. Being fifteen gave them acne, marked the time that they started to grow and made them very horny. Sasuke considered himself to be older than fifteen; in fact he never thought himself a teenager at all. Ironically, he seemed to have that genetical quirk that prevented so much as a pimple to grow on any part of his body and girl were no more interesting to him than the air he was constantly breathing. The only thing that marked his fifteen years of age was his steady and sometimes explosive growth. Just last year he had been a bit over five feet. Now he was five foot six. That was a half-inch every month.

Sasuke never considered himself particularly into girls either.

But apparently he was wrong about that too. He couldn't deny the sudden interest and attraction that he felt for the young Hyuuga musician. She was…different than any girl he ever met. She wasn't loud and rambunctious, she never clung onto his arms like a leech and she never seemed a bit interested in _him_. Although a part of him felt mild annoyance at that fact; but it served to make her all the more appealing. Sasuke Uchiha loved a good challenge.

The fact that she was quite fetching was an added bonus. But she was only fourteen, still stuck in those awkward teenage years. Who knew what she would be like in a couple of years? Tomorrow was the end of their brief time in NYC; they were heading back to Tokyo and he would very likely never see her again.

Sasuke sighed, distracted by the intensely gloomy thoughts that entered his mind. He stood and stared blankly at the sleeping girl. His finger lightly traced the curve of her cheek, wanting to see those startling eyes again. When her eyelids fluttered slightly he jerked back and let himself out of the room. Nothing to get freaked about. She was walking out of his messed up life forever in twenty-four hours and it didn't matter. Because Sasuke Uchiha never cared about her in the first place.

At least that's what he tried to tell himself.

* * *

He woke up gasping loudly. The sheets were wet with splattered liquid and his cheeks were flushed. He groaned inwardly as he rinsed out the sheets in the bathtub, not wanting any creepy looks from a cleaning maid. It would be easier to explain drenched sheets than one covered with bodily fluid.

The watch on his bony wrist indicated the time to was…already ten-thirty. Shit. They were supposed to meet at ten o'clock sharp. The suitcase was already packed from last night and after deciding that he didn't give a crap about what he looked like, he was out the door.

That dream was so _disturbing_ and yet Sasuke couldn't deny that he has a strange enjoyment from it. Now he had the strange urge to find out if Hinata's lips really tasted like cinnamon and if her skin really felt so silky. There was no doubt in his mind that he would qualify as a horny teenager. Wet dreams confirmed _that_fact. What triggered it? Just watching Hinata sleep, just feeling slightly attracted to her? He honestly felt wimpy.

"Hey Sasuke! You're late!" Naruto was at the doorway, as enthusiastic he always was. The rest of the group milled around aimlessly, though none shot death glares at Sasuke for being late. It was well known that he had more talent and skill than all of them combined. Hinata was standing by Naruto's side again, smiled faintly. Sasuke felt a random jerking in the lower region of his body. _Shit. Not now…_he kept his eyes away from her and walked calmly to the other side of the crowd. He had to get away from Hinata Hyuuga.

"Everyone here?" A silver haired man with a perpetual easygoing smile on his lips surveyed the crowd. "Ah, glad you could join us, Uchiha."

"Che." He was only a half-hour late.

"The airport terminal bus is right outside. Drop off your luggage in the back—oh." He stopped, noticing that most of the teens had already headed outside; not bothering to listen to him properly. "Ah well. They are geniuses."

Then he drew a green book from his pocket and resumed reading.

"Hey Sasuke!" Sasuke jerked his head to his left. Naruto was showing off his blinding smile. Sasuke looked at his other side. Sure enough, Hinata was there. Shit.

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Sasuke-san." Her voice was quiet, but enough to make his lip twitch slightly.

"Hn." He dragged his suitcase behind him and threw it onto the person collecting the luggage. Ignoring the cursing coming from behind him, Sasuke headed to the seat in the back of the bus. Naturally Naruto sat right with him. And with Naruto came Hinata. With Hinata came to promise of a very long and agonizing ride to the airport.

His fist was clenched tightly the whole ride and bile rose up to his throat while he contemplated many ways to murder Naruto. The blonde idiot was talking his ear off about some porn book that Kakashi, a teacher and regulator in the program, always carried around with him. Apparently it had been written by the co-founder of the YPPSM, some old man by the name of Jiraiya.

Sasuke could care _less_ about some perverted book called 'Make Out Violence' or 'Make Out Paradise'.

He was more silent than usual, not even bothering to insult Naruto or make an overly sarcastic comment. Hinata sat quietly, occasionally glancing at the black-haired man beside her. Sasuke's eyes were focused on the busy streets outside as if his life depended on it.

"Are…are you alright, Sasuke-san?"

"I'm fine. Mind your damn business." He snapped irritably, not even casting a glance in her direction.

She shrank back. He was gritting his teeth, an expression of pure hatred on his face. Was there something that she had done wrong? Of course, she didn't know that the pain on his face was directed toward the blonde dobe sitting near him.

When the bus shuddered to a stop in front of the airport, Sasuke sprang up and pushed his way out of the crowded bus. He _had_ to get out of there, away from that infernal blonde and away from that girl; for completely different reasons, however.

He dug his hand into his pocket, searching for the pre-paid airline ticket. It wasn't there. It must've dropped from his pocket when he exited the bus. Curses erupted from his mouth. There was no freaking way that he was going to backtrack and search for it. But without that ticket…he would have to spend more money to buy another one or get stuck in America forever.

Sasuke didn't want to be stuck in the cursed 'country of opportunity' where apparently overly tanned skin was hot and everyone seemed to have fake blonde hair and was fifty pounds overweight.

A light hand touched his shoulder as he contemplated his grim fate. He flinched, panicking slightly that it was Haruno, coming back to haunt him. But instead of the slimy-lipstick covered lips and crusty mascara eyes of the pink-haired terrorizer, a nice clean face framed by indigo hair peered up at him.

Oh.

"What do you want?" It came out sharper than intended, although Sasuke made no move to correct himself. She handed him a piece of paper wordlessly. His airplane ticket.

"You dropped your airplane ticket in the aisle, Sasuke-san." She bit her lower lip nervously. "Sorry about the scuff marks; Naruto-san stepped on it."

He muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

"S-sasuke-san…?"

"Not your fault…why did you apologize?" His eyes stared at her from beneath his raven bangs. She stiffened visibly at his inquisitive stare. No words came out of her open mouth.

"Never mind. I've made you uncomfortable. We should get on line if we want to catch the flight."

"Hai." She picked up her carry-on bag and followed him to the ticket line.

* * *

"_Flight number 75 to Japan is now boarding."_

Sasuke chucked the empty water bottle into the nearby metal trashcan and got up stiffly. The flight had arrived a full two hours late; it was already noon. He had already eaten lunch at the Japanese cuisine across from the passenger waiting area. The violin case was tucked under the crook of his arm. There was no way that he would surrender his treasured instrument to a careless luggage packer.

The flight was intensely boring and the atmosphere extremely stuffy. Sasuke tapped the generic blue screen across from his seat. Riding first class was a usual for YPPSM; but it never made the flights any shorter. Or less dull. He couldn't understand why they even installed a computer in the seat anyway; the wi-fi access was horrible. Besides, wasn't that what his cell-phone was for?

Naruto was enthusiastic as always, cheerfully relaying stories and making cheesy jokes. Hinata was laughing politely at his foolish antics, occasionally stealing a glance at Sasuke; who was pretending to sleep. The uncomfortable memory of the dream from last night replayed itself behind Sasuke's closed eyes.

It didn't help that Hinata was so very near to him.

He grunted, somewhere between exploring the insides of her thighs and kissing her lips feverishly in his dream world. _It was normal_; he tried to tell himself, _everyone had these things happen to them. There's nothing wrong about it at all. Stop overreacting—you're Sasuke Uchiha for pete's sake! _

_But Sasuke Uchiha has a tighter lid on his feelings…_

Suddenly he was afraid. Afraid of what was happening to him. Afraid of her intoxicating presence. Afraid of the uncontrollable hormones surging through his body. No, Sasuke Uchiha hated being helpless and out of control. And it was all because of _one_ girl, barely fourteen! _Breathe_, he commanded himself, _don't want anyone else to know what you're thinking…_

He was glad when night fell and all the lights were closed. But he felt bitterness rise up when he saw that Naruto had his arm wrapped around Hinata's shoulder, holding her to him as she slept. It looked so…intimate. Her mouth was partly open, barely visible in the dim light. Sasuke couldn't tell if Naruto looked blissful or glad since his face was practically _buried_ in her tussled hair. How he hated that stupid dobe.

His hands were clenched into fists the rest of the evening and he barely slept.

Sasuke might be ignorant and inexperienced, but he certainly could identify what he was feeling. Just pure and simple jealousy. A part of him wanted to snort at the thought that _he_ could be somehow _jealous_ of the blonde cellist, but the other half reasoned that it was perfectly logical. Sasuke wanted to touch that Hyuuga girl, wanted to wrap his arms around her and wanted those perfect soft lips to only himself. That very thought scared the hell out of him.

Just when he thought that he was finally going insane, the pilot announced that in a half-hour they would be landing in Japan. Sasuke wiped off the remnants of their pathetic airplane breakfast and slipped on earphones. Naruto was laughing heartily at his own jokes and his arm was touching Hinata's in a way that had Sasuke fuming.

"You have to buckle your seatbelt, Naruto-san, we're landing…" her quiet voice was overshadowed by his loud ranting. It hit a nerve to see Hinata so blatantly ignored.

"Oi, dumbass. She told you to put on your fucking seatbelt. Listen to her, dobe!" He glared at the surprised boy behind his dark bangs. Hinata sent him a reproving look for cursing at Naruto, but he merely looked away. She wasn't going to make him regret speaking his mind, not this time. He couldn't help but feel a twinge when she shook her head slowly and whispered something to Naruto to calm him down. _You ruined it again, baka_, the voice in his head grew stronger, _stop making such a bad impression of yourself. _

_I can do whatever the hell I want, _he argued back silently, _don't order me around. _How idiotic. He was actually arguing with himself. Hello, schizophrenic fool. Soon he would be shouting about the voices in his head and drooling everywhere. Ugh, he shuddered inwardly. That was why he never performed at mental hospitals or insanity wards. Staring at their empty, unknowing eyes gave him the creeps, though he would never admit it.

Sasuke jolted out of his musings when the plane touched ground, momentarily making him dizzy from the descent. He swung the violin case from the holding compartment above him and unbuckled the seatbelt. After landing at the airport he still had to catch a bullet train to Osaka, where he lived. Time to put that Hyuuga girl out of mind once and for all. It wasn't like she lived anywhere near him.

He strolled along the half-filled corridors of the airport terminal. At least he didn't see a fangirl crowd, like the time when he left for NYC. _Yet. _Hinata was walking right beside him, smiling pleasantly as she dragged her suitcase along. Naruto had departed with a reluctant wave and a promise to stay in contact. Sasuke couldn't help but be pleased at her unwilling reaction. Clearly she didn't feel anything for the blonde idiot.

"Sasuke-san?"

"Hm?" She was talking to him? His mind tried to wrap itself around her audacity. Hearing her voice after a full day of not talking seemed to quench something in him.

"Wh-where are you going after this?" Was it just him, or did her eyes seem hopeful? Maybe it was just a trick of the light.

"Osaka. I live there." _No duh, Sasuke. _He ignored the sarcastic comment that popped into his head. "Where are you going?"

"Nara."

"Ah. It's in the same region."

"Near..." There seemed to be some hesitation in her voice. "But I…I guess we won't be seeing each other very much…"

"Hai." He'd known that all along, but it still hit him like a sledgehammer to hear it come out of her mouth. "There's still the YPPSM meetings every month."

"Hai…however, there are hundreds of other musicians there and…I doubt that I can attend too frequently…" A sad sparkle appeared in her eyes. "I…I guess, th-that I'll really miss you, Sasuke-san…"

"Che." Inside, he was completely shell-shocked. She was going to miss him. He would probably never see her again. She changed his life; no matter how briefly. And deep inside, he knew that he would miss her too. Miss that quiet smile, those sad eyes and the occasionally shocking comments.

Then he made up his mind. She wasn't going to forget him, not ever.

"Hinata, look at me." His tone was unexpectedly soft. She stared up at him, surprising him by the tear that glistened at the corner of her eyes. He took a deep breath and leaned in, pressing his lips against her's a chaste kiss. He could feel her stiffening, but she made no conscious effort to move away, only leaning in the slightest bit. Then he pulled away, lightly brushing his lips on her earlobe, whispering, "I'll miss you, Hinata…don't forget me."

Then he turned swiftly and walked out into the light. Quite possibly out her of her life forever.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hold off all those comments that Sasuke fell for Hinata too quickly! First, I would like to point out that he's fifteen. I'm quite sure that fifteen-year-old males react strongly to their hormones rather quickly. Second, this is called a crush, pure and simple. Probably not love. Yet. The next chapter will have a timeskip. Please vote on the poll on my profile; remember to look at the summaries first though!

As always, please review! You have no idea how much I appreciate them.

-moonhaku

* * *


	4. Evanescence

_**Reflection**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

**: Evanescence :**

Crowds cheered and fans flocked around him while critics praised him as the first modern celebrity violinist in the history of civilization. Letters and invitations poured in endlessly, each requesting a performance; each offering an impossibly high price for one meeting.

During the day, he would be in the spotlight as Japan's most famous celebrity. At night the darkness closed in and the world became frighteningly lonely. Not too different from before, anyway.

Happiness was fleeting, the joy of triumph meant little to someone so used to success everywhere he went. The humdrum of everyday life—even the life in the blinding limelight—was consuming, wriggling into the cracks that he failed to notice. To put it simply, Sasuke Uchiha was utterly and completely done.

Done with immediate success.

Done with putting on a cool and collected face for his fans.

Done with his pathetic life.

And, perhaps the most shocking of all, done with what is commonly referred to as hope.

Hope didn't come in the form of satin sheets and silk curtains; it didn't leap into his hands like awards or medals and it certainly didn't suffocate him with high expectations and endless praises. No, he expected that Hope would be like soft drops of sunshine falling with extra gentleness when he was least expecting it. Or maybe finally seeing that shy smile again.

Only God knew that Sasuke Uchiha was certainly expecting it.

* * *

This time, Sasuke Uchiha was inducted into the hall of fame. It was the same as always, with the critics roaring about his success at the early age of eighteen and fans (mostly girls) spilling their empty love on him. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if he was middle-aged, fat and balding. But Sasuke Uchiha was cursed with unblemished porcelain skin, a lean figure and an inviting air of intrigue.

He also had a full head of perfect raven hair. Definitely not balding for a good while.

Perhaps the one closest to him, as rumors have said, was Sakura Haruno, the daughter of an unassuming businessman. Over the years, she blossomed into a beautiful woman, someone that made front pages of beauty magazines and had men drooling. She also had eyes only for Sasuke Uchiha.

They made a fitting pair.

The raven and the cherry blossom. The musician and the beauty. He was solemn and quiet, preferring to slip by unnoticed. She craved attention and certainly worked up a ruckus wherever she was. Within time, she became his manager. At the same time, words of a secret affair between the two rose. No doubt the cunning work of Sakura Haruno herself.

Whenever he was faced with the question concerning a love affair, he would just close his eyes and show that strange smile. Nothing less to get the gossip columns raving. He never affirmed it, but on the contrary, he never denied it. Sasuke Uchiha was a mysterious man indeed.

He attended an all-boy escalator school; the best in the region. It didn't stop the female fan-service that he received on a daily basis. But that was all outside of school and maybe on holidays, when he left the campus. After all, the school _was_ a live-in.

Perhaps that was why her appearance at the annual music fest was such a shock.

Sasuke Uchiha was walking along the dreary hallways of school, mindlessly kicking the flyers and scraps of paper out of his way. There was hardly a living soul in the building; the music fest was in session and most of the students ran off to go see it. From the windows, he could see the bright lights and low rumble of talking and cheering of the crowds. No doubt that they were soon expecting him to appear and perform for them. He was their pride and joy.

"I—I'm not too sure…what if—"

"It's fine, there's nothing to worry about."

"But what if…"

"You are a genius, Hyuuga-sama," he sounded exasperated. "Just blow them away!"

"H-hai…"

It made him stop mid-thought. _Hyuuga-sama_…could that possibly be? No. That was impossible! She couldn't be here. Not _here_, at _this _school! Despite that, he felt his heart speed up into overdrive and his thoughts muddling. Three years. For three years he hadn't seen her, talked to her…for three years, he tried to live like she never existed. But now, she was back!

Without thinking, he turned around and followed the arguing voices. Her voice, so familiar with that soft and anxious quality he would never forget, disappeared altogether. When he stumbled around the corner, there was no one there. A sudden wind blew the curtains wildly, and scattered a few fallen, dried up leaves into the barren hallway. _A hallucination…_ he sagged onto the ground and let out a bitter chuckle. _Kami, I'm going crazy. What the hell…_

"Wish me luck…" There it was again, resounding like bells in his ears. Her voice. It couldn't be true. Why was it coming back to haunt him after three long years? Judging by the sound, she wasn't far from where he was sitting. On impulse, he sprang up and looked around, even sticking his head out the open window.

No one.

He banged his head on the teal walls softly. What had he expected? Had he expected Hinata Hyuuga to suddenly appear and talk with him? Or had he wanted to just have a glimpse of her and see how much she really changed? There was little that he knew about her. He knew that she was quickly gaining fame, but her name was not yet as well known as his. Not yet.

Sakura never gave him news of the other members of YPPSM; in fact, she only seemed interested in proving herself to him. When she thought he wasn't paying attention, she would gaze at him with such longing and she made every attempt the beautify herself. That had the opposite affect of what she intended. Sure, it attracted almost all other guys, but as according to her own words, Sasuke Uchiha was not a normal man.

He heard soft and calming music coming from the direction of the festival. Then like droplets of spring rain, it showered his mind and brought surprise to his face.

He _knew_ that song. He was the first to ever play it.

Reflection.

If it was here…Hinata Hyuuga was bound to be near. Hope and impossible desire rekindled in him, just like the rising octaves of the broken mirror…

The crowd parted before him like the Red Sea. But the melody was still entrancing; he could see, that behind their shocked expressions, they were utterly spellbound. Then he saw her.

The October wind brushed made her indigo hair stream out from behind her, adding only to the pristine beauty that she had always carried. He noted that she was considerably taller, still too skinny and pale. Those colorless eyes were still the same, yet impossibly different. Behind the gentleness and elegance that was reflected in those orbs was a fire, a blazing, amazing will to be unleashed.

Sitting before him on that ordinary wooden stage was Hinata Hyuuga.

Then without disrupting her, he swung the violin case over and quickly assembled the instruments. He ran his fingers on the worn neck of the instrument and the chrome strings, recalling the memory of those first drops that fell from his slender fingers. He set his fingers on the strings and began.

The memory came and flew away, carrying him and everyone around in his grasp. The two instruments wrapped around each other, fluttering and twirling like a pair of cheerful sparrows, reunited at long last. Sasuke opened his eyes to see a shocked pair of pearly white orbs. Her fingers faltered for a second and her pink lips were trembling.

"Sasuke…?" He lowered his eyelids and nodded, continuing with the haunting melody that he played so long ago in that Marriott hotel suite. Her fingers returned to the black and white keyboard, her face resuming a peaceful expression. Sasuke thought that he could see a tear slowly making its way down her pale features. This was real music, the music that humans have always searched and yearned for, the true music that transcended the ordinary barriers of art.

There was reluctance in the notes as he played the final measures, bringing the short piece of heaven to an end. Silence was deafening, booming against his ears. But he only had eyes for one person. She lowered her eyes, shyly gazing at him from under those long lashes. _Hinata…_

"WHOOOO!!" The crowd suddenly erupted into sudden applause and cheering. Sasuke smiled wryly and held out an arm to the blushing girl—no, he corrected in his mind, _woman_. She gasped when he pulled her close and breathed a sigh as he held her in his arms.

"_Hinata…_" He placed a hand on her shoulders, "It's been three years."

"Hai…" She looked around nervously. "S-sasuke…I—"

"I know."

She blushed furiously, remembering his chaste good-bye kiss three years ago. She never thought that she would see those smoldering, consuming pair of onyx eyes again. It had to be a dream, right? Sasuke Uchiha holding her in his arms, placing soft kisses on her head. Not possible. Another tear trailed down her face. Alarm ran through Sasuke.

"Why are you crying."

"Um," she bit her lip and stared at the ground. He put an arm around her and guided her backstage, out of the questioning stares of the onlookers and the rolling cameras.

"It's alright, nobody will see us." He reassured her.

"Is it really you, Sasuke…? I—I can't believe it, I n-never thought that—" She gave up on words and hugged him tightly.

"Hai. You're not dreaming." He felt like it was. Seeing her after three years of separation, it was like one of his long-lived fantasies. "Hinata, look at me."

"Hm?" He grinned slyly and captured her lips in a searing kiss; totally different from the one they shared two years before. He could sense her shock and anxiety, but she didn't pull away.

"I believe this is where we left off last time, Hinata…" Sasuke whispered in her ear, intentionally blowing on that sensitive spot by her earlobe. He could feel her tightening against him, and he loved how her pale skin flushed crimson.

"Hinata-sama—get your arms _off_ her!" Shit. Who the hell was _that_? Sasuke raised an irritating eye to the intruder. It was that same white-eyed Hyuuga that he'd seen at some of the YPPSM meetings. What the hell was he doing here? There was no time to think. The man was at his side in seconds, firmly clutching his arm with bruising intensity.

"Get your filthy arms off Hyuuga-sama, brat. I can break bones." Sasuke merely smirked at the threat and the man looked purely pissed.

"Neji nii-san, it's alright, really…" She reached out and tapped his arm hesitantly. "He—he wasn't c-coming o-on to me…"

"Sure looked like it." The man now identified as Neji growled through gritted teeth. He tightened his grip on Sasuke's arm.

"Look, she _said_ I wasn't a freaking molester. Get your fucking hands off of me."

"Why you—"

"Neji! Please don't do anything…"

"Hmph." With a last resigned look at Sasuke, Neji let go of his grip and pointed a finger at Sasuke. "Regardless of who you are, I won't forgive you if you come within a foot of Hyuuga-sama, brat."

"Hyuuga-sama, we should go." He grabbed Hinata's arm and swiftly dragged her out. She nodded slowly and then stole a helpless look back at Sasuke. After the pair disappeared from view, Sasuke sank down on his feet and cursed. She was gone, again. This time, taken by her own bodyguard. This time, it was worse. The memory of that wonderful music, and the joy of seeing her after three years. _Hinata, when will I ever see you again? _He slammed a fist on the wall. _Maybe it would've been better if I never met her. _

_Then it would hurt this much…_

* * *

"And now, is the world-famous, young prodigy and master violinist, Sasuke Uchiha! Please give a warm welcome to tonight's star!"

The light was blinding, yet he still kept his eyes in their half-open state, sporting that famous smirk on his face. He bowed and waved to the expectant faces in the swarming crowd. A large group of shrieking girls was off the side, holding up signs painted with red lipstick proclaiming their undying love for 'Sasuke-kun'. Then all the talking, chatting and cheering disappeared when he put his bow on the strings and started.

The music, so beautiful and pure to the ears of the audience was nothing compared to the deep hole of loss that Sasuke's cradled within. The music, with all its drops, twists and melody was _nothing_ compared to the fleeting memory of a broken reflection. The music from his fingers felt like daggers, driving their way to the ground, piercing straight into his innermost soul. He couldn't deny it any longer, he thought as he surveyed the cheering crowds as he put down his violin.

Music, which was his life, his only support in the world—it was hurting him. It was painful.

Maybe the problem wasn't music; he shook off his shoes and tumbled into his cotton sheets, breathing in the musty scent. Maybe the problem was the void that he'd been living in for the past five years. The lingering feelings that were left when he last saw Hinata Hyuuga in the school.

He glanced at the shiny cover of a fashion magazine, showing a woman with striking white eyes and a man with clear blue eyes hugging her in a loving embrace.

Maybe because, according to the rumors and news, Hinata Hyuuga, age twenty twenty-two was getting married to Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'm SO sorry for that short chapter…I'm in a great hurry, and I felt that the chapter was complete like this…I'm so sorry! I feel so guilty for this tiny chapter! I'll make it up to you guys…Tomorrow, I'm leaving for a weeklong trip to Canada, so that next chapter will be a bit late and I promise that it'll be a lot longer. Please review! I love hearing your thoughts!

-moonhaku

* * *


	5. Incandescent

_**Reflection**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto**

* * *

**: Incandescent :**

"And now, reporting for Celeb News, is Mayu Aokawa-san. Onto you."

"Thank you. I'm here at the convention center searching for hot news, and I've definitely got it here. Across the street from here is this year's hottest couple, famed musicians Naruto Uzumaki-san and Hinata Hyuuga-san. Gotta love them. They met overseas two years ago and have—"

_Bleep_

Sasuke threw the plastic remote on the carpeted floor and sighed again. Wherever he looked, people seemed to be raging on the rumored 'hottest couple of the year'. There was no escape from the never-ending pain that he felt. Sure, the media, along with everyone else in the world, had already _assumed_ that he was set to marry his manager, Sakura Haruno, in a few years' time. There was only one person—possibly two—that knew that truth of this affair, other than himself, of course.

One of them was Sakura Haruno. He'd made it quite clear three years ago that he had absolutely _no_ interest in her; but that girl could dream. She seemed to have made up her mind that if she stuck with Sasuke for a few years and worked even harder, she would win over his love and one day they would get married.

That was when he was nineteen. Now he was already twenty-three. But the pink-haired phenomenon still had the same blazing determination, the same dream that one day, the sole Uchiha heir would look only at her. He was rather forced to accept the fact that he was practically stuck with her—whether he wanted to be, or not. It was an uncomfortable arrangement.

The other possible one was Hinata Hyuuga.

But she could've already been swayed by the media and the rumors concerning Sasuke and Sakura. Why else would she agree to marry Naruto; when Sasuke truly knew that her heart was not in it? Or maybe it was. Sasuke couldn't bring himself to believe that Hinata had really fallen for that blonde dobe. He'd already predicted that Uzumaki would go head over heels in love with Hinata—it was obvious even eight years ago.

She wasn't extremely beautiful, like Sakura Haruno, who captured every man's heart with her perfect features. But she carried herself with a certain grace, an elegance that drew people near to her. It was only magnified by that softness that showed through only when she let it. Hyuugas were born with that natural ability to shield their true feelings and emotions.

Uchihas shared the same trait.

If only there was any of them left.

Sasuke's mind flashed back fifteen years back, when he was only eight and just barely rising to fame. It had been his birthday, a sweltering July twenty-third; and he was in Venice, celebrating a birthday party. At the end he had been asked to perform, which he had done gladly, with those chubby little fingers and petite violin. With his eyes closed, he could still recall the proud expression on his father's face. Even if Sasuke was only the second son, at least he was a prodigy.

Only his elder brother had stood there in the corner with a condescending expression fixed on his little brother. That cold look of contempt was still imprinted in Sasuke's memory, right before that bloodcurdling smile. He hadn't known it then—but now he knew.

Itachi Uchiha had been utterly and completely evil.

After all, he killed their family that very same night.

* * *

_"Otou-san? Where are you? Otou-san?" A little boy, just turned eight, ran down the dark and dank alleyways of Venice. The murky water from the deep, slimy canals splashed on his shiny new loafers, making him cringe when his socks began to soak. He slipped a few times, fumbling in the night as he brushed off the dirt and water from his tiny pale hands. Italian and English and different garbles of intelligible speech rang from every direction, making no sense to his ears. _

_"Otou-san?" A black tie with an Uchiha sign hung on the corner of a gondola. The gondolier was nowhere to be seen. _

_Sasuke reached out and touched the black silk material tentatively, stroking the edge; wondering why his father had left his tie hanging on a creaky wooden boat. A sharp gasp came out of his parted lips when he tugged on the tie and found that the midnight edges were stained crimson. The tie was partially soaked with red liquid, forming striking droplets on Sasuke's skin._

_"Nani? What is this?" All of the sudden, a horrified expression came over Sasuke's face. He realized what it was. Blood. His father's blood. What was it doing staining his father's black silk tie? He tried to tug the tie into his hand, but it stuck fast. For the first time, Sasuke could see that the material had been wound onto a heavy wooden oar. _

_Sasuke stepped a foot onto the gondola tentatively, trying not to yell in fear when it swayed back and forth horrendously. He took a slow step after calming down his hyperventilating lungs. Just when he reached the edge of the boat, he peered over the edge and let out a bloodcurdling scream. _

_Tears gushed out of his eyes and his scream was still coming unbidden out of his open mouth. His father. He was hanging by his tie, half-way into the water. There was glistening red blood on the corpse and the rusty smell filled Sasuke's tiny lungs. _

_A hand clapped over Sasuke's open mouth._

_He struggled weakly, then relented; his mind numb from what he just saw. _

"_Very good, outoto…we wouldn't want to attract too much attention, do we?" His eyes widened in recognition when he heard that voice. It was his older brother, Itachi Uchiha. Did he know what happened? Did he know that their father was dead?_

"_Aniki! Outo-san, he—he—he's _dead_!" Sasuke forced out the words in a hoarse voice. He was surprised to hear a low chuckle from the person behind him._

"_I know." Before Sasuke could respond, Itachi continued on. "I killed him."_

_It was in that instant that Sasuke's young heart froze to ice. _

_Countless emotions flashed through his mind. Confusion at why his brother had done this grisly deed. Anger that his brother had taken his father away from him. But overwhelming all other questions running through his mind was just _why _his brother had done it. Didn't he love his father just as much as Sasuke did?_

"_Why…aniki," Sasuke's childish voice escalated hysterically, "Why did you kill him?! Why, aniki!! Why!!"_

"_Because I hated him." Itachi stated simply. Sasuke faltered, waiting for his brother to continue; but the man behind him was impeccably silent. _

_In that moment, Sasuke's heart cracked and split open, letting all of his lasting emotions and feelings escape. In that moment, his heart became a dry shell containing nothing. _

_A last tear slipped out of his eyes before all of his tears dried forever. _

"_You…hated him…" the words were trembling as they tumbled Sasuke's small, tight lips. "So you…killed…him, simply because…you hated…him?"_

"_Exactly."_

_A small chuckle escaped Sasuke's open lips; containing no trace of rising hysteria. He felt absolutely nothing except a tiny tinge of triumph when Itachi stiffened behind him. Soon, he was laughing loudly, in a way that described absolute emptiness. No emotion. No lingering sadness. _

_Nothing._

"_Then…what about…okaa-san…did you…hate her…too?" Sasuke's terrifying laughter faded into the night. _

"_Hai." Itachi answered after a moment of hesitation. Sasuke took this as a sign that his mother, too, was dead. _

_"Itachi…I…I hate you…" Sasuke walked away from his brother's grasp. No words came out from his brother. Suddenly invigorated, Sasuke turned and looked directly into his brother's carefully blank eyes._

"_I _will_ kill you one day, Itachi."_

"…" _His brother merely closed his eyes in a acceptance and turned around, walking in the opposite direction from Sasuke. A silvery tear lingered on Itachi's eye and rolled down his cheek. Or maybe it was just Sasuke's imagination._

_Before walking away on heavy legs, Sasuke saw the bloodied body of the gondolier hanging on the side of the boat. Sardonic amusement flitted over his face. Nothing could affect him now._

_Not even when he found that his remaining family had been wiped out by the yakuza that same day. _

* * *

Sasuke's lips tightened at the vivid memory from fifteen years before. All those years, he hadn't dared face it directly, frightened that his heart would somehow heal. Now it was inevitable. That had been a shadow that had hung over him his whole life; and he was sure as hell going to get rid of it if he had to focus on his current dilemma. He strained his memory to remember the years after his family died.

He was fully accepted by the YPPSM soon afterwardand a lawyer sold much of the Uchiha property at his request. The phenomenal 16.2 billion dollars in his name had been directly transferred to a bank account for his own use.

Sasuke remembered that for the first few months, he had been completely mute. He didn't respond in any way when someone asked him a question, he never complained or commented on anything and worst of all, those were the months that he never touched his violin. The old wooden instrument had collected dust and was in sore need of tuning.

But YPPSM would never kick him out; he was too much of an asset; being one of the only two survivors of the Uchiha tragedy. Apparently no one knew the true killer of his family other than Sasuke himself. But he made no effort to tell anyone; the treasure of disposing the world of his older brother had to be his alone.

Involving the police would make it more complicated.

Sasuke's eyes closed as he remembered what made him alive again. It was clearer than all else in his childhood memories. At that time, he was close to becoming nine and the ominous date brought memories of the horrifying day to mind. He'd been sitting in his room listlessly, watching the dust roll over on the floor. This was how he spent much of his day; silent and unapproachable.

That day, they were expecting a new instructor; which didn't happen often. Sasuke couldn't care less about some dumb old man called Kakashi Hatake.

* * *

_A rough string of knocks came from the other side of the blank white door. The little boy didn't move. His eyes flicked over to the door for a moment, but that was all. His legs didn't quite reach the ground as he sat on the bed, but they didn't dangle or move. They just hung there quite lifelessly. _

"_Boy, I know you're in there. Answer the door." He could identify Anko Mitarashi's piercing voice from anywhere. But in response, Sasuke merely grunted; not bothering to move from his spot. He only wished that she would give up on him soon._

"_Open the door, boy! Don't think that I won't kick it down just because you're a freaking spoiled genius." Sasuke flinched. He _hated_ the way she called him 'boy' and he hated her persistence even more. _

'_Boy! You open this door right this second, or Lord help me, I _will _make sure you go to meet your mother and father today." Sasuke couldn't help but grimace when he heard the reference to his deceased parents. _

"_That's quite enough, Anko. I'm sure he can answer if he wishes. No need for useless threats." This startled him. This warm, deep voice was new; and it held an impeccable ring of authority. _

"_But Kakashi! You don't know—" Anko was still stubbornly persisting._

"_I know enough. This boy lost his family at a very young age, and nobody has tried to help him move on. Have some sympathy." _Sympathy_? Sasuke recoiled at the word. He didn't need _anybody's _sympathy, damn it! He started to hate this new instructor already._

"_Sympathy? This boy doesn't need that; and what do you mean, we haven't tried? Psychologists, doctors, encouragement—we tried _everything_! How can you say we haven't tried?" Sasuke almost smiled at how indignant she sounded. But only almost. _

"_But maybe that was not the problem. Have you ever tried to look deeper?" The man's voice was still calm, as if he was arguing with a child. _

_  
"How the _hell_ do we do that when he won't even open the door for us?" Came Anko's sharp reply. _

"_Let me try." _

_There was some shuffling and Sasuke could imagine them repositioning themselves in front of his door. _

"_Sasuke? Sasuke? Are you in there?"_

"_Of course he's in there—"_

"_Be quiet, Anko." The voice paused. Sasuke glanced in his direction. "I know you're there, Sasuke. I won't force you to come out, or even talk to me, but can you just listen?" Despite himself, Sasuke found himself nodding._

"_Let me introduce myself. I'm Kakashi Hatake. I'm not sure if you will recognize my name; but I am willing to bet that you will not. I was a friend of your brother…before he killed your whole family." Rage pulsed through Sasuke. His brother's friend. He had dared to stand right before Sasuke and admit it so bluntly. How _dare_ this Kakashi Hatake stand there so calmly? The sounds of his own heavy breathing filled the room._

"_Please do not judge me from that. I admit…I have done many wrong things in the past, many of them abominable and inexcusable. But I think—let me rephrase that—I know that I might as well be the only one who knows what exactly you're going through."_

_That one crossed the line. _

"_How…how _dare_ you say you know what I'm going through," Sasuke growled with anger. "You don't know anything! How could you! Your family was never killed, and certainly not by your brother! How dare you say that you know _anything _about what I feel!" _

"_Finally, a rational response." The man didn't seem shaken by Sasuke's sudden outburst. "Sasuke, you are wrong about what you assume about me. My father committed suicide in font of my eyes when I was six. My mother followed him soon after that. The friends that I treasured all died one after another. I am just as alone as you are." Sasuke heard a sharp intake of breath from behind the door. He was frozen, trying to picture what life could be like for the man talking to him. Having your father commit suicide…so openly…and then losing your mother after that…_

_He decided that maybe it could be compared to his own grief. Just maybe. Or not. _

"_But I moved on; partially because I had help—but mostly because I decided to stand up on my own. What I see now is not a spoiled, rich genius, but a child who enjoys wallowing in his own grief. I'm not saying that you've had an easy life, no, far from it. But I am saying that you should let people help you. Put the past behind you, Sasuke, and learn to move on."_

"…" _Sasuke stared at the ground sullenly. Never had someone spoke so openly to him. Here was someone who could understand his grief, and yet, he had put it behind him. Was this something that he, too, could achieve? _

_  
"I see that the process might be long, but I am willing to help. They tell me of your talents with the violin, but you haven't picked up that instrument since your family's demise. If you're willing, I could guide you. Think of it as a new challenge."_

_  
There it was. Sasuke knew that he couldn't resist a challenge; especially when it was staring him in the face. He hopped down from the bed and opened the door, looking up grudgingly into the face of Kakashi Hatake for the first time. The gravity-defying silver hair shocked him briefly, as well as the kind expression on his face. He was so young! Sasuke had imagined someone at least middle-aged._

"_Accepted. Kakashi." He saw Anko stiffen at his apparent audacity. Kakashi merely smiled at the rude greeting and then his eyes narrowed._

_  
"Lessons start tomorrow. I'm not an easy teacher, Sasuke." He took Anko's shoulder and pulled her away with him down the hallway. Sasuke stared behind him for a moment. Then he walked into his room and pulled the door shut._

_Music drifted from the room the whole night._

* * *

Sasuke smiled grimly as he walked over to the bookcase. He hadn't expected all of his memories would be unleashed in full force when he started to ponder about Hinata Hyuuga. She would be the death of him.

Literally.

Even now, Sasuke could feel the same despair overwhelm him when he thought of his bleak situation. Once she was married, he could do nothing but congratulate her. He wasn't his father. Sasuke would never be involved in anything similar to an affair with Hinata.

His father wasn't always faithful to his mother. It was a known fact.

For Sasuke, there were only two paths that he could accept and follow. One, was to forget about Hinata Hyuuga and move on with his wretched existence. Two, was to seek out Hinata and find out her true feelings. If she rejected him whole-heartedly, then he would leave and never look back.

Kami, he hoped that he would never have to resort to that.

According to his disgruntled manager, Hinata Hyuuga would be arriving in L.A. in two days. There had to be a way to make his move, to get her alone, so he could finally make his intentions clear. There was no way he could live without her knowing how he felt. Even if he knew that she was fairly sure.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun?" He raised his head to the woman standing by the doorway. Her pink hair was tied up in a sharp ponytail and a pen was stuck behind her ear. The black-rimmed glasses gave her a strictly professional feel. "It's almost time for dinner, want to go?"

"No." He replied sharply. Her expression didn't change. After all, she'd never imagined that he would ever say 'yes'; she just offered merely because it was a habit. Now she smiled and replied flippantly, "It's alright. I had a date, anyway."

If it were anyone else, that certainly would've been the case for someone as beautiful as she was; but Sasuke knew she had absolutely no interest in anyone else. The lie rang hollow to his deaf ears. There was pain behind that smile; but he couldn't bring himself to really care about it.

"Wait a sec," he called out as she turned to go. A faint spark of hope lit in her eyes, but it faded just as he continued. "Are there any open flights for L.A. in a day or two?"

"Er…hai. There are two open seats in first class tomorrow." She glanced at him suspiciously, her eyes finally landing on the discarded magazine on his bed. Her eyes narrowed.

"Good. Reserve one."

"One?" Usually, she went with him everywhere. It was just one of the perks to becoming his manager. He'd never asked for her to leave him alone.

"Hai. One. You don't need to come." He replied in a brittle tone. "It's personal."

Her guess was confirmed. She knew that Hinata Hyuuga would be in that very same city in a couple days time, and with Sasuke's sudden interest of going to L.A., she knew what was going on. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she instantly felt jealous. What had made _that_ woman so important to Sasuke, that he would book a flight just to see her? There was no shred of doubt in her mind.

"Fine. I understand." Her response came out short and bitter. Then she closed the door behind her. Sasuke could hear the clipped sounded of her high-heeled shoes as they sped down the marble hallway.

She was hurt, he knew that. But nowhere could he find any pity for her. She knew what she'd been getting into when she volunteered to become his manager. It wasn't his fault if she was too weak to handle the pressure.

Instead, his mind drifted to the fact that he would be seeing Hinata Hyuuga so soon. Her perfect clear skin, those inquisitive white eyes and that alluring air that always surrounded her body…he couldn't wait to see Hinata again.

She'd gone on to becoming a composer and a pianist. Sasuke felt some absurd pride at the fact that he was one who first figured out her second talent. When she had showed him her first piece, 'Reflection', he'd known that she held such a genius in her.

Sasuke reached for her latest CD, staring at the smiling face of Hinata Hyuuga on its cover. He'd never heard her 'Reflection' since five years ago. Maybe critics and listeners would beg otherwise; but he thought that none of her compositions could compare to her first piece. It had been perfect in its flaws, showing th exact meaning of a broken 'reflection', though not the in the way she'd intended.

In his mind, Sasuke could visualize the joyful expression on her face when he played 'Reflection' for her nine years ago. What he would give to see that face again. He threw the CD into a corner of the room, and collapsed onto his bed.

That was why he was going to L.A. tomorrow; to see Hinata Hyuuga once more.

If she loved him, he would take her away.

If she hated him, he would walk away and never turn back.

It was all up to Hinata Hyuuga now.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I hope I have partially made up for the long wait and the previous short chapter! I know there isn't much SasuHina action in this chapter, but I had to write some things regarding Sasuke's past since it seemed a bit confusing. However…Itachi will be making a surprise showing! …sometime later, of course. 8D Please visit my LJ (moonhaku) for an update schedule and possible sneak-peaks of coming chapters and/or stories!

You know the drill, REVIEW!

-moonhaku

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	6. Deceive

_**Reflection**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

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**

**: Deceive :**

"Sasuke, are you sure about this—" Sakura's emerald eyes were filled with concern. Sasuke glanced as her before slipping on his coat. "There's already a concert scheduled in three days—"

"Cancel it if I'm not back by then." Authority rang in his words as he lifted the backpack from the floor and hoisted it onto his back. There would be trouble if that concert were cancelled at the last minute; but Sasuke thought it would be well worth it. Though he would feel pity for those who had already bought the tickets—according to the rumors, the ticket prices had been horrendously expensive. Buyers would've gone through much trouble to obtain them, and probably for nothing if Sasuke didn't return by then.

"Hai, the chauffeur is waiting out by the front door." Sakura replied after a moment. Defeat was evident in her weary words. She should've known better than to try to persuade Sasuke from leaving for LA; didn't she, his first and only manager, know his iron will better than that? She was surprised by the irritated glare that Sasuke gave her after she spoke.

"Didn't I already tell you _not_ to call the chauffeur? I am fully capable of driving myself, Haruno-san. Do you _want_ to attract unneeded attention? I'm late as it is." He took in the pain that rippled through his manager's features briefly. He was already annoyed and impatient to get on the plane; he didn't want to be slowed by some pathetic guilt for causing her pain.

"Gomen, Sasuke. Excuse me." She sniffed softly and turned around. He sighed; a twinge of that dreaded guilt piercing in to his conscience.

"Ahem. I was rude—I apologize for that." He muttered just loud enough for her to hear. She stared back at him curiously for a second and then exited the room. He almost groaned when he realized that she had been blushing.

Him! Sasuke Uchiha! He'd just _apologized_ for being the insolent brat that he had always been! For one instant, he'd actually somewhat _cared_ about her feelings! Laughable. Completely and insanely laughable.

Sasuke walked out of his mansion and flung open the black Volvo's door. This was a car that he used whenever he felt the need to be alone and didn't want to attract any unwelcome attention from anyone who might recognize him. The car was fairly normal—compared to the stretch limousine that was parked right next to it. Maybe the sheen was a bit too brilliant and the windows tainted to the point of utter obscurity, but no one had noticed those things

Yet.

He tried to shake off the feeling of unrest growing in his stomach as he drove along the freeway to the airport. Something didn't seem right—maybe it was the fact that he had actually tried to be considerate of his manager's feelings. But he couldn't shake off the nervousness that was slowly engulfing him. He really was going to see Hinata Hyuuga in less than twenty-four hours.

It was high time to find out the answer to all those questions.

* * *

_Flight 203 to Los Angeles has arrived at the airport. Passengers please remember your luggage and proceed along the aisle…_

Sasuke snapped the window shut and grabbed the bag from beside him. The flight had been far from pleasant. Several of the airline attendants had realized who he was and they had been frantically asking for signatures and pictures during the flight. Apparently next time he decided to fly first class, he would have to wear a mustache and a trench coat. _So…very…appealing_, Sasuke wrinkled his nose as he considered the thought. His own identity had turned against him.

He walked straight past the luggage pick-up area and into the masses that were waiting for their own loved ones or business partners. Out of pure habit, he looked for a sign that bore his name. There were none. Of course, he bit the inner part of his cheek for being so idiotic. No one expected him to be all alone on LA three days prior to a concert.

Hinata Hyuuga was rumored to be near the entrance to Carnegie Hall to sponsor a charity. The irony of it amazed him. This was the same place that he had first seen her eight years ago, when her fingers still trembled and she still blushed after playing on the stage. And now he was back, just to crash her life into the same downward spiral that his had taken.

He gazed at the impressive entrance to the music hall and sighed. There were three options laid out plainly before him.

Plan A, he could use his identity to gain access into the hall, but then the reporters would never leave him alone.

Plan B, he could find a way to sneak in through the back door, but there would be guards positioned there.

Or plan C, he could just turn on his heel and walk away as if nothing had happened, but then he would never see Hinata.

If only there was some way the talk to Hinata beforehand…then he wouldn't even have to consider the trouble of gaining access to the high-priced concert. _God…_he stared blankly into the rare patch of blue sky above him. Had he come here only to run away yet again? Perhaps. Turning his head away from the piercing sky blue, Sasuke focused on the odd fact the street he was standing on was practically deserted. A few pedestrians walked along the road and a rare car would whiz by every ten or so minutes. Usually Los Angeles was much more crowded.

Weird city.

A wayward flyer flew into the foot of his jeans. The bright purple print caught his eye and he picked it up gingerly, using only the tips of his index finger and thumb. _Ah, no wonder…_he thought as he read; the President was visiting LA and he was attending the charity in Carnegie Hall afterwards. Sasuke crumpled the paper and threw it out behind him. It was a good thing that the streets were generally empty anyway; he would attract less attention.

"You really shouldn't litter, sir."

He turned around, ready to make a snide reply about his opinion on people who didn't mind their own business. But the words, so ready to come out, were choked back down as he stared at the face before him. The pale skin, rounded cheeks and uncharacteristic purple-black hair.

Hinata Hyuuga?

"Are you all right?" He nodded numbly, confused by her politeness. It was obvious that she had no idea who he was. Maybe it was the dark sunglasses that covered most of his face, or the fact that his spiky hair had grown so long it could be tied in a short ponytail.

"I'm fine," he muttered before turning around completely. "It's just a piece of paper. Someone will pick it up."

"Either way, you shouldn't litter." He couldn't believe that she didn't recognize him. Was he going to press further or just give up and leave? If she didn't know who he was, what was the point of goading her any further?

"You're Hinata Hyuuga." His tone made it clear that it was no question. Surprise registered on her face, before her eyes tightened slightly in a repulsed way.

"I believe the concert is in a few hours, sir. I will be giving interviews after that," she said it frostily, and for a second, Sasuke couldn't quite believe that this was _Hinata_ he was talking to. The woman-child in his mind was soft and gentle, albeit serious about protecting the environment, but there was a shrewdness in this woman that disgusted him. It reminded him of the blonde swimsuit model that he had to work with a few times; she was sly and quick. Deceiving.

"I'm not a reporter." Sasuke took off his sunglasses, "I'm Sasuke Uchiha."

"Sa-" He relished the way her mouth fell open and a tinge of pink went to her cheeks. All the cleverness fell from her face, and he knew that it had just been a protective mask. She gulped, and whispered incredulously in a trembling voice "_Sasuke?_"

"_D'accord, mademoiselle._ And I believe that this 'interview' has been postponed quite long enough," he smiled at his own crude humor. But the woman in front of him was still shell-shocked, as if she was seeing a ghost. His face wasn't that pale, was it?

"I-I … what are you doing here?" She reverted back to their native Japanese instinctively.

"To see you. It's been a long time, Hinata."

"H-hai…" In front of his eyes, she transformed back into the shy girl that he fell on love with eight years ago. Even the trembling stutter was back. He let go of a breath that he'd been unconsciously holding. If she had no more feelings for him, she wouldn't be reacting like this, right? Sasuke desperately hoped that he was right this time around.

"…but _w-why_?"

"Like I said, it's been a long time. Shouldn't I be allowed to see my…my friend?" Sasuke winced at the platonic way he described their relationship. That would change soon enough. He started to walk, not noticing where he was heading. Hinata followed silently next to him. She raised her head and glanced at him quickly. It was easy to guess what she was thinking about.

"I-It wouldn't be good if p-people saw us, S…Sasuke." She pursed her lips worriedly. "I'm already en-engaged." Sasuke felt his heart plunge.

"I know." He managed a painful whisper. "I heard."

"Well…well then…I should probably, um, go now…" She smiled weakly up at him. He turned his face away, the pain in his heart attempting to overwhelm him. Seeing her face, the face that another person had touched, the lips that another person had claimed…it was the last thing he needed right now. It was time to give up. Time to honor the bargain that he had made with himself.

"Hinata…" he whispered, "Do you really love him?"

"…" She paused and he heard the great gulp of air she took before answering. "Hai."

He closed his eyes, letting the surge of pain retreat behind the closed lids. In an almost fearful whisper, he asked, "Are you happy?"

Another pause. "Hai."

"No regrets?" Now he knew that he was just clinging on. There was no answer from behind him. He whirled around, surprised to find tears trickling down her pale cheeks.

"None."

"Then…I am…content." Sasuke ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Good-bye, Hinata Hyuuga. I promise…you won't see me again."

He turned and walked away, not caring where he went. The pain of the decision tore him apart and he knew it was just a matter of time before he crumpled. Knowing that Hinata had a kind heart and couldn't bear to see anyone suffer, he walked quickly, the pain blinding his vision.

Hinata was happy, she was loved.

That was all he needed to know.

A sudden screech of metal pierced through his filmy thoughts, giving him just enough time to see a black van losing control in the street, bouncing off a telephone pole and spinning straight for him.

_"SASUKE!!!"

* * *

_

Once upon a time, there was a princess stuck in a tower. Her skin as pale as snow, cheeks as rosy as blood and hair black like midnight with a purple shine. She sang beautifully from the tower she was locked in. Like in all good fairy tales, an ugly, horrible demon guarded the tower. His eyes were chillingly cold and his skin was like ice. Yet he stood at the bottom of the tower faithfully, following no orders but his own. Everyday, when the princess sang and sang, the demon would hum along, following the beautiful melody trapped in the tower above.

One day a handsome, blond prince came into the forest, looking for something that was lost. He stumbled into the clearing where the princess was locked in a tower. When she began singing, he immediately forgot about his lost treasure; his soul belonged to the beautiful princess. The prince stole back into the forest, waiting for nightfall, when the demon would leave everyday. When the sun set, the prince quickly scaled the wall and hoisted himself into the window. He greeted the surprised princess and told her how he had come to take her away. She shook her head, saying that she was bound to this tower, but smiling. Though she would not leave with him, the prince visited her everyday, talking and singing along with her.

One day, the demon returned earlier than usual and caught sight of the prince scurrying into the bushes. The demon, noticing the prince, immediately drew his sword, preparing to slash him down.

The princess, stuck helplessly in her tower, cried and cried, for she hated to see any living thing hurt. She knew that it was the demon's duty, and at heart, he was kind, but she could not stand to see him advance on the defenseless prince. She called for him to stop, but the demon did not even glance in her direction. The prince however, smiled warmly at her, and prepared to defend himself. But the princess knew he could not win. Though she cried for him to run, the prince seemed intent on proving his courage.

She began to sing a new song, a song so full of love and life that the demon turned around, transfixed by her beautiful voice. When he understood her meaning, his evil heart crumbled. For he had always loved the princess, but was unable to scale the tower himself, only able to keep others away. He handed his sword to the prince, and the rest of body faded away with the wind.

The princess mourned the loss of her companion, but was happy and content with the prince. He took her down from the tower and brought her to his kingdom, where they lived happily until the end of their days…

* * *

_Beeeeep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

"You alive! You're alive! Thank God…" A pink head buried itself in his neck. He screamed from the pain, the heart monitor flat-lining for a few seconds. The woman gasped and let go of him, wiping the tears from her face. He blinked as the pain slowly receded, leaving his shoulder oddly numb. He blinked a few times, wondering why the hospital lights were so bright.

"You're alive…I'm so happy…" She smiled despite the tears still gushing from her face. He licked his dry and cracked lips, tasting blood when he gulped.

"Who…who are you?" He moved his mouth with great difficulty, mostly because of the tape and gauze and partially because of the dull, raging pain in his mind. As he said those words, the smile on the woman's face disappeared.

"You…you don't remember me?" She whispered fearfully, as if realizing something dreadful. He shook his head numbly, wondering if he should know who she was. Her hair was a soft pink, with a spiky bun in the back. Her makeup, untouched from her tears, was applied subtly and her black framed glasses gave her a professional feel.

She was also extremely beautiful.

But somehow, this repulsed him for an unknown reason. The woman before him stared blankly, as if not knowing what to say. Suddenly, the man realized that he had no idea who _himself_ was. What was his name? His age? Was he even a man?

"You don't remember me…" Her eyes turned crafty and the man shuddered. "Do you know who you are?"

"No." The thought frightened him. She smiled patronizingly and eagerly, for some reason.

"Your name is Kenshin Uemora. I'm Fukiko Aizanowa, your…your wife." When he glanced at her hand for a ring, she gasped and said, "We..eloped five years ago. You were always such a hard working husband…but we never had enough money to buy a wedding ring. A car crashed into you while you were walking home from work. The…the doctors say that you are paralyzed from the waist down. But with intensive therapy and rest, you'll recover! But they said some nerves in your legs were permanently damaged…"

"Are you lying?" He didn't know what possessed him to ask her that. Her face was so innocent and so happy, but somehow her eyes seemed evil and crafty. She gasped, blood rushing to her face and more tears spilled out.

"How…how could you say that, Kenshin? I love you…" He stared at her, wondering what he should do to remedy this situation. If what she told him was true, then he should be madly in love with her; if he had eloped with her. Somehow he knew that that was not something he would do lightly. Though he was not sure who he was, he was absolutely positive of his own character.

The door opened and a white-haired American doctor walked in. "Another woman is at the door, she says she wants to see a certain Sasuke Uchiha…is that you?"

Before he could reply, the woman, whom he presumed as Fukiko Aizanowa, gasped in fury and stalked out the door. He heard furious whispering and a smack before the woman returned into the room. Her face was flushed and her eyes wild.

"She was looking for someone else," Fukiko replied, adjusting her hair and calming down. "Continue, Dr. Anderson."

"Ah, yes…since it was driver's fault that you are injured, Mr. Uemora, all your costs will be paid for by his insurance company. Costs for therapy and a total of $500,000 dollars will be transferred into your account, so there is no problem with the money. But I believe that you should be informed of the severity of your injuries." He glanced at Fukiko, and said, "This might be overwhelming, would you like to leave?" When she shook her head, he continued, "The van basically ran over you and dislodged multiple vertebrae in your spine, damaging numerous nerves. Although the surgery team and I have done all we can, some nerve damage in your thigh and shoulders are irreversible. The van's tires also crushed your rib cage and punctured your lungs, leaving several holes. Those were patched up in surgery, but scar tissue might form and you might have trouble breathing. If at any time you start coughing blood, you should seek medical assistance. You will be in this hospital for at least six months, due to the extent of your injuries—"

"Excuse me, Dr. Anderson? I was just wondering if I could bring Kenshin home…he never really liked it at the hospital here…" Fukiko's voice trailed off. Dr. Anderson sighed and replied, "We could have him transferred to a private hospital, but he really does need to be monitored by medical personnel twenty-four seven. There is a nice, small hospital up in northern California, one directed by my good friend. He would be happy to have you there. Of course, the other insurance company will cover the cost."

"Thank you, Dr. Anderson. I'm sure Kenshin will be much more comfortable there."

The man, still not quite believing that he was Kenshin, didn't appreciate that he wasn't included in the conversation. It was true that he hated hospitals, but a 'nice, small hospital' wasn't his idea of comfortable. That woman who was at the door couldn't have had the wrong door; he was almost positive that 'Fukiko' had slapped the woman. Who had that person come looking for? Sasuke Uchiha? It sounded dimly familiar to his mind.

'Fukiko' closed the door behind the doctor and skipped over to 'Kenshin's' side.

"Who's Sasuke Uchiha?" He struggled to talk through the bandages near his head and chin. Her smile froze.

"Where did you hear that?" she demanded.

"That woman was looking for him. He sounds familiar. Did I know him?"

"I don't know. I never heard of him," she stared listlessly at the multiple IV s stuck in his arm and hand. Kenshin was sure that she was lying. Her eyes watered for a second and it seemed as if she had come to terms with something very difficult. He was about to protest, ask her what she was doing, but a sudden lethargy came over him. Confused, he saw that 'Fukiko' had pressed the morphine button, increasing his dose of the drug.

"What … what are you…" Everything started to go dark. The last thing he saw was her face, shining with tears and new hope.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I didn't proofread this…but somehow I don't think you'll care very much. I've actually planned out how the rest of this story will go! First time I ever did something like that. Thanks for being so PATIENT with me w/ my hiatus and all. I'm beginning to like this story. What with memory loss and all. If you're still confused:

Kenshin Uemora – Sasuke

Fukiko Aizanowa – Sakura

PLEASE READ + REVIEW!

-moonhaku

* * *


	7. Opaque

**_Reflection_**

**Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto**

**

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**: Opaque :**

Thud

He almost screamed from the pain rushing from his calves. Physical therapy was utter hell. It was humiliating the way he fell every time he struggled up to his feet. The metal bars and the unreliable hands of the therapist weren't helping. They would lift him up every time and fail to catch him if he fell. Apparently the only way to learn how to walk again was very, very painfully.

"Kenshin, c'mon, get up! You almost made it!"

And then there was that. He glanced at the lovely face of his wife, who was standing above him, poised to help him up. Her cheeks were rosy and she no longer had the haggard look that he had come to associate with her. Even when the doctor confirmed his earlier diagnosis of lasting nerve damage in his arm and legs, she had looked oddly satisfied. Satisfied that he would probably spend the rest of his life with a cane or in a wheelchair.

Rallying up what little strength he had, he grasped at the two metal bars above him and pulled himself up. A sharp pain shot up his leg and it slipped out from under him. As he fell again, he thought about how the therapist had said that pain was a good sign because it showed that the nerves in his legs were still intact. His palms were slick with sweat as he braced himself for another try.

As they grasped the metal bars, he slipped again and a sudden coldness enveloped him. The chilly white-tile floor pressed against his burning cheek. The lights above him grew dimmer and sound faded as he thought of only the cold floor beneath him…

* * *

_Once upon a time there was a princess in a tower…_

Thoughts of a beautiful princess, a selfish monster and handsome prince swirled around in Kenshin's head as he grunted. All around him was darkness; a warm, gentle darkness that enveloped and comforted him. Shining footsteps appeared under his feet as he was set down gently on the watery black nothingness. Mindlessly, he followed, placing one foot in front of another. What was missing? Something essential, something that made up his identity, something that belonged yet that was utterly foreign – _pain_. There was no pain in this world, the world of darkness and warmth.

When was the last time that he felt the crumbling earth under his bare feet? When did he last feel the soothing breeze ruffle his hair and guide his soul?

Where had he heard the haunting melody of despair, longing and grief? The fragile melody picked up speed, stirring the innermost part of his being and bringing the spring wind under the soles of his feet. He ran, sprinting over the graceful tune as if it were a walkway. A music like golden raindrops alighted on each part of his body. Suddenly, he was not alone in that dark world any longer. A figure walked in front of him, covered in a cloth, with only the feet showing.

It was completely black, yet wholly white. Solid yet transparent. Beautiful yet haunting. Comforting yet frightening. Familiar yet foreign. Right in front of his hands, yet thousands of miles away. The music emanated from beneath her, the music that he ran on, the music that was flowing through him and erasing the pain. The whispery strands of music clung to her feet, weaving themselves into the fabric of an old and new song.

He stretched out his hands; in his heart, a curiosity. It grasped dark air; she escaped from his fingertips, never increasing the speed of her steps. The melody started to disappear as the pain came back slowly. The desperation in his heart grew, bursting forth into a fiery fire as the melody withered away into nothingness. The soft earth beneath his feet now felt like a thousands needles piercing into the sensitive skin of his feet. The warmth of his surroundings suffocating, choking him and preventing any sound. He stumbled as his feet lost movement and darkness enclosed his legs. Yet the melody played on with the girl, who was walking farther and farther away.

_Who are you? Who? _He struggled to move his paralyzed body from the darkness that sucked him in. It seemed like his anguished cry reached her when she stopped suddenly. A white, gleaming teardrop glistened on her cheek as it fell down as he was sucked deeper and deeper into the endless void…

* * *

'_I passed out again…' _Not wanting to open his eyes, Kenshin turned around and covered his face with the thin hospital sheets. How long has he been waking up to uncomfortable, white sheets? There wasn't anyone in the room and everything was quiet. Quite a surprise considering that he couldn't remember the last time Fukiko had left him alone for anything. It was a nice release, but also slightly terrifying.

After all these months, his memory had yet to return. She was the only one who knew who he was. She was the only link he had to his past life. She was supposed to be the woman that he loved so much that he defied tradition and eloped with. Somehow, it didn't fit quite as well as it was supposed to.

Fukiko certainly seemed to know plenty about him; even more that he himself did, in fact. But that wasn't particularly surprising since he was still "recovering" from severe amnesia. No matter what the doctors tried, he couldn't remember anything. There was something … _blocking_ whatever it was that he needed to remember. He drew up a blank whenever he tried to delve deeper into his mind.

"Hey Kenshin, are you awake yet?" The door opened and a pink-haired woman stepped inside. Fukiko had changed after the first time that he'd seen her. No longer wearing her hair up in a bun, she adopted a more relaxed and soft look. The rectangular glasses were replaced with contacts and her unique pink hair fell in gentle waves down to mid-back. She wore light make-up, sticking only to the essential bit of lipstick and some foundation. Sitting down next to the hard plastic chair next to his hospital bed, she brushed a bit of hair from her face and smiled.

"Hey," she said softly, her eyes shining. Kenshin grunted, not bothering to reply. This did not faze her; she'd grown long used to it. Instead of speaking, she took his cold hand, stroking it softly. He looked away, still not used to the feel of her warm skin on his hands. Again, his mind called up the suspicions that had always been there, prodding gently at him. If Fukiko was a woman that he loved, then wouldn't he feel some trace of warmth for her? When he looked at her however, all he felt was, not revulsion or dislike, just _nothing_. She was just a woman – nothing special at all.

He tried to picture her in an apron, scrubbing the plates and making dinner. Hell, he even tried to imagine them having _sex. _Now, that had been completely impossible and only served to make his head ache. She was just _there. _How she managed to keep up with his astronomical hospital fees was unknown to him; if they were really as poor as she had first insinuated, where did all this money come from? $500,000 was an enormous amount of money, but he felt that months of such care must have already exceeded the amount that insurance had paid. Not to mention that the only clothes he ever saw her wear were obviously designer labels. She had money, he was certain of that fact.

Saying they were poor; that was just one of her lies.

Kenshin knew that there had to be more that she was hiding. He never told her, but his hands always felt strange, ever since he could remember waking up and losing his memories. He felt like he wanted to _do _something, and sometimes, he started tapping his fingers to a forgotten rhythm when he got lost in his own thoughts. There were uncharacteristic calluses on his fingertips, hardened surfaces that couldn't have come from the boring, low-paying desk job that Fukiko had described to him. Whenever he heard music drifting from another room down the hall, he had always felt this _longing_, for what, he had no idea whatsoever. Fukiko never played any sort of music in his room, something that he sorely wished for, but would never admit to her.

The few times he had mentioned trying to relate to his past, she had tried to change the subject or injected more morphine into him. He was utterly helpless under her watchful gaze.

"Kenshin?"

"Mm." After a moment, he answered reluctantly, still not facing her. It was such an odd name; he didn't feel as if he should respond to it. Yes, he was almost positive that this was not his real name.

"What are you thinking about?" She sounded worried and concerned, but Kenshin thought that he could hear suspicion underneath the tone. Perhaps he was reading too much into things.

"Nothing."

"Oh." Kenshin could hear the disappointment in her voice. He would never tell her anything, something that greatly bothered the pink-haired female. Even though he had lost his memory, he knew that they were still there somewhere. When he could finally walk and leave this cursed hospital, he would find the nearest plane and run away from her grasps. But for now, he needed to keep her happy.

"I'm just thinking…" he trailed off, wondering if he should formulate a satisfactory lie to please her of his supposed empty-headedness. The idea was repugnant to him; pretending his own stupidity when he was obviously fully capable of thinking for himself. Then an idea came to him. He decided to actually tell her the truth, for once. Just to shock her.

Who knew; maybe he could find some fragments of his old life from whatever stinted conversation he could extract. Taking a deep breath, he could feel the anticipation in the room. This was going to be good.

"About music." Her hand froze for a moment and she let out a weak chuckle. Kenshin suppressed a laugh.

"Music?" Her weak laughter trailed off into serious silence. "Why…why would you be thinking about something like that?"

"I just noticed," he turned over, fixing his black obsidian eyes on her turquoise ones. "That you never play any in my room."

"You never liked music," she breathed. He fought an urge to scowl; she was telling a blatant lie to his face.

"You said it gave you a headache and…" her ramble trailed off. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"I would like some music," he changed the subject abruptly. "If you don't bring it, then I'll just get one of the nurses."

"But, you won't like it, Kenshin." Fukiko's eyes were wide as she protested weakly.

"Some Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, and Mendelssohn would be nice," Kenshin continued, taking no notice of the trembling woman beside him. "Violin pieces, preferably, of course."

"Why?" She whispered, fear growing in her eyes. He almost smiled; this conversation was taking a pleasant turn. Maybe music was a clue to his former life; something that she tried to hide from him. Her grip on his hand loosened and he pulled it away, tucking it under the thin, white hospital bed covers. Her hands lay limp on her lap as she stared into the distance, past him and past the flowered walls of the hospital room. "Why…why do you still want that so much?"

"What?" His smiled disappeared.

"Why do you still want that…that…music?!" She spat the word out like it was the most repellant of vermin, her frantic eyes now focused on his pale face, on the small scar slightly crossing his eyebrow. "Why is it still so important to you?" A tear ran down her face as her voice increased in volume. Her eyes took on the fervor of madness as she suddenly clung to his arms, rocking back and forth on her chair. "_Why _do you still want that; even when you've lost your memory?"

"I…I don't know…" He prodded her carefully, taking in her quavering figure. A sudden ache appeared in the back of his head, slowly growing in intensity. His forehead furrowed; the scar there burned. Fukiko's bright green eyes were wide and bright, tears spilling down freely.

"You've always just wanted _music_!" She looked furious all of the sudden. "Before me, before anything else, you just always always always _always_ wanted that damn, God-forsaken _music_! Why?!" Her eyes searched his pale visage, which now was uncertain at the strange spell that she was going through.

"Why is it always music? Tell me tell me _tell me, Sasuke_!" Fukiko gasped loudly and clamped a hand over her mouth. Kenshin froze. _That name again, _his breath hitched in his throat. It was a name he heard whispered near his room when Fukiko left, it was the one of the first names he had heard when he woke up – it was something so utterly familiar yet so frustratingly foreign.

"_Sasuke…" _he whispered under his breath, feeling it roll out smoothly. It felt so _right_ for some reason. It wasn't like Kenshin; whenever he addressed himself as that, there was always a measure of hesitation and peculiarity. _Sasuke…_the name resounded in his mind and he tried to burn it into his memory. _His_ name; he was sure of that now.

"Is," he gulped, staring at the frightened woman. "Is that my name?"

She shook her head, but he grabbed her arm in an iron grip, desperate for any information she could provide him with. She had _lied _to him about his own _name_; there was no telling what else she had done. His mind flashed back to when he first woke up. There had been a woman looking for Sasuke Uchiha. Uchiha; that was his last name, wasn't it? And this woman had the nerve to lie in front of everyone and sent that other woman away with a slap, no less. He was furious; a mixture of desperation, new discovery, and anger at the blatant betrayal of trust that Fukiko has inspired.

"That _is _my name, isn't it, Fukiko?" He chuckled darkly. "Is that even your name? It's probably not; it's just another lie made up to trick me. My name _isn't _Kenshin Uemora, is it. My name is _Sasuke Uchiha._" When her eyes widened at his conclusion, he took it as an affirmation.

"What else have you lied to me about, hm?" His dark eyes glinted, his voice steadily increasing in volume and intensity. "Now that I look back, that woman who was looking for _Sasuke Uchiha_, that was _me_, wasn't it? _And you fucking sent her away._ What is your plan? Why would you do something like this?

_How long did you think you could keep this façade up?_"

She shook her head, trying to shake off the accusations. His bruising grip on her wrist was beginning to hurt, and for the first time, she looked afraid of him, like he was a monster. With a terrified yelp, she wrenched herself from his grip and cradled her injured wrist protectively. She stared at him, whispering something unintelligible. He attempted to follow, but his weak legs could not support his weight, collapsing from underneath him when he swung them over the bed. The pink-haired woman scurried out from the room, almost crashing into the nurse coming down the hall. _Damn, _he slammed a fist down onto the table, he'd almost got her, and almost got to the bottom of the web of lies she had spun. At least he had gotten his true name out from her, if nothing else. _Sasuke Uchiha_, he ran through it over and over again in his mind. With a monstrous effort, he pulled himself up from the floor into a sitting position. Then, using the bed railing as leverage, he pulled himself onto the bed, panting from the exertion.

He laid there, enjoying the music that flowed into his room from down the hallway. His suspicions had been right; Fukiko or whatever that woman had been called, she had been lying to him. It troubled him slightly that he knew next to nothing about his past now except for his name and his odd interest in music, but now, nothing would impair him. She might return the next day, but Sasuke Uchiha – he reveled in his newly discovered name – would not let her trick him again. A dark-haired nurse peeked into the room, surprised to find him on top of his sheetsm, cheeks flushed with exertion. Gingerly, she stepped into the room, mumbling, "Do…do you need anything?"

"Hm?" He looked at her, and then a slight smile graced his lips. "I would like some music."

"What-what kind?"

"Whatever you can find," he was feeling in a particularly pleasant mood. The nurse nodded slowly, a confused look on her face. "Maybe whatever is playing right now, down the hall. What's that by?"

"It's nothing special," the nurse blushed. "Not Tchaikovsky, or Mendelssohn or anything like that…" Sasuke, as he now called himself, narrowed his eyes. This nurse had obviously been listening in on their conversation. He took a closer look at her, noting her oddly colored eyes – they were almost pure white. She looked familiar – like someone he had seen before. The throbbing pain in the back of his head increased in intensity, making him wince. Suddenly, he saw those same silver eyes on another face, a softer, charming face of a woman. The pain in his head exploded and he keeled over, barely suppressing a groan. Immediately, the nurse was by his side.

"What? What's wrong?"

"You…" his teeth were clenched from the pain. He opened an eye, scrutinizing her face. "You…have I seen you before?"

"No." A simple answer. However, the woman's eyes seemed apprehensive. "My name is Hanabi Hyuga. I'm an intern from a nearby college."

"Hyuga…" he whispered, another wave of pain enveloped him. He passed out for a second, then the darkness receded and he heard himself screaming. The pain was like a hammer, hitting him over and over again, mercilessly pounding him into the pavement. He felt like his head was being obliterated, his mind destroyed. The screaming sounded very far away, like it was someone else providing the sound. Yet the pain was very close; threatening to choke him and stabbing at his mind like a thousand needles and spears all at once. Faintly, he could make out the outline of the frantic, white-eyed nurse as she struggled to hold him down and press an IV into his veins. Two security guards had come in, restraining his wrists as she firmly inserted a long needle into his wrist. After a short moment, the pain receded, leaving a dull ache in his head. _Hyuga…_he thought as his eyes drooped shut.

* * *

Dimly, he could hear a sudden calm music brought by his bedside. It was middle of a complex melody, _the music falling like __warm drops of water after a sun-shower. He was so wrapped up into the music, that he was barely aware of her swift fingers flipping the pages as soon as he finished one page after another. Then the light tone all but disappeared, replaced by sadness, but a different darkness than before. The darkness of losing what once was, making the notes conjugate in something unbearably empty…yet sweet. The ending measures went up and down several octaves; the calm after the rage of a storm of emotion. _

_Sasuke held his bow on the violin for a moment after he finished and then put it down. He peeked down at the woman standing beside her. Her eyes were still closed, and a tear was glinting at the edge of one of them. Sasuke was about to snap irritably that if she didn't like it, she didn't have to be so emotional about it. He knew it wasn't the best sight-reading he ever played, but that was partially because of the difficulty of this piece she offered. _

"_That…" she opened her eyes and looked up at Sasuke, "That was so beautiful, Sasuke-san. "_

_An odd thrill went through Sasuke when she said his name. All the irritation left his mind as he stared at her gentle expression. Suddenly this Hinata Hyuga didn't seem as 'damn annoying' as before. Actually, she could be more correctly classified at 'damn cute'._

He sat up in his bed with a gasp. The full moon shone down brightly in his room. The dream had been so real, so vivid. He could still remember the small girl, just fourteen, listening as he played the violin to a melody so sweet and beautiful he felt like crying. Sasuke looked at his fingers, examining the hard calluses formed on the tips of them. He was a _violinist – _it all made sense. How his fingers ached to feel something under them. Why he tapped them unconsciously to a forgotten rhythm. It all made sense now. He hadn't just been a violinist – he'd been famous as well.

He stared at the bright moon. And the girl beside him, _Hinata Hyuga, _he recalled. Who was she? His heart clenched at the thought of her name, and a bittersweet feeling entered him. She was it. She was what he had been hurting for, missing for so so so long. Music had been an essential part of it, to be sure, but _she _had been the center of it. Her shining silver eyes, her soft pale skin – it was her – Hinata Hyuga.

The woman that he loved.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Hehe…sorry for such a long wait. I thought I would never write again, but I suddenly felt the urge to continue this story. I'm so sorry for making you all wait for soooooo long – it's been a year! However, I hope that you'll continue to read & review no matter how angry you are. It's really an encouragement. **So, please REVIEW!!**

moonhaku


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